Putin unlikely to agree to Trump’s ultimatum to end war in Ukraine – Reuters

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Stock photo: Getty Images

Russian leader Vladimir Putin is reportedly unlikely to agree to US President Donald Trump’s ultimatum to make progress in ending the war in Ukraine, as he remains confident in the military strength of the Russian Armed Forces.

Source: Reuters, citing sources

Details: Sources familiar with the discussions in the Kremlin told Reuters that “Putin’s determination to keep going (with the seizure of Ukrainian territory – ed.) is prompted by his belief that Russia is winning and by scepticism that yet more US sanctions will have much of an impact after successive waves of economic penalties during 3-1/2 years of war”.

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On the one hand, the agency notes, citing two sources, Putin does not want to anger Trump and understands that he may lose the chance to improve relations with Washington and the West, but his military goals take precedence.

“Putin’s goal is to fully capture the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which Russia has claimed as its own, and then to talk about a peace agreement,” one of the sources told Reuters.

One source noted that the current negotiation process, in which the Russian and Ukrainian sides have met three times since May, was an attempt by Moscow to convince Trump that Putin is not rejecting peace, although the talks were devoid of real substance except for discussions on humanitarian exchanges.

“Russia says it is serious about agreeing a long-term peace in the negotiations but that the process is complicated because the two sides’ stances are so far apart. Putin last week described the talks as positive,” Reuters recalls.

One of the agency’s sources also reported that Putin is privately concerned about the recent deterioration in relations with the United States. “Putin still retains the hope that Russia can again befriend America and trade with the West, and ‘he is worried’ about Trump’s irritation,” said an unnamed source.

But given Russia’s gains on the battlefield and the heavy military pressure on Ukraine, Putin does not believe now is the time to end the war, the source said. They added that neither the Russian military nor the public would understand if he chose to stop at this point.

The Russian leader values his relationship with Trump and does not want to anger him, but “he simply has a top priority – Putin cannot afford to end the war just because Trump wants it,” said the second Russian…