He is not lying nor do I think he is bluffing. Putin to the west (NATO): “Today we hear from the west that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. Well, what can I say? Try it! We have heard the west wants to fight us “to the last Ukrainian.” This is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but does seem to be the case. Everyone should understand that, by and large, we have not yet commenced anything serious. At the same time, we are not refusing peace negotiations either, however, those who are refusing to negotiate should know that the longer they wait, the more difficult it will be for them to negotiate with us.” For the last 6 yrs. media propaganda has demonized Russia for the political purpose of demonizing Trump and fostering a war. NATO alliance wanted this war but had to first use lies to create enough hatred in the west to gain popular support. It's like science fiction writing, first you create a horrible monster then you have to figure out a way to kill it.