Putin rejects front-line truce, still wants all of Donbas — Reuters
Photo: Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has no plans to end the war against Ukraine, despite US President Donald Trump’s peace efforts. There is a factor that has strengthened his resolve to continue fighting, according to Reuters.
Escalation instead of peace
The sources say that Putin is likely to escalate the war in the coming months—despite Donald Trump’s statement that a resolution is closer than people think.
What sources report
Reuters, citing three sources close to the Kremlin, reports that Putin does not support the idea of peace talks with Kyiv.
Two sources believe there is a high probability of a new escalation of the war in the coming months. One of them, who meets regularly with Putin, stated that this probability is very high.
According to the agency’s sources, Putin continues to view establishing control over the entire Donbas as his primary objective. One of the sources also reported that the Kremlin leader recently criticized advisers who had proposed a ceasefire along the current front line.
Why is there talk of escalation
According to Reuters, the latest strikes by Ukrainian drones on Russian oil refineries, ports, and fuel infrastructure have not forced the Kremlin to reconsider its plans.
On the contrary, the agency’s sources claim that these attacks have further strengthened the Russian leadership’s resolve to continue hostilities.
"Russia is ready for a peaceful resolution but has enough capability to act independently and continue the special military operation," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov tells Reuters.
What Ukraine says
In comments to Reuters, a senior Ukrainian official said that Ukrainian intelligence data from recent months indicates Russia was preparing for new military actions, not for peace.
According to him, this refers to possible new operations both on Ukrainian territory and in other potential scenarios.
Due to a shortage of missiles for the Patriot air defense systems, the Ukrainian military has already switched from automatic to manual air defense mode—operators themselves choose which targets to shoot down to conserve scarce ammunition.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would grant Ukraine a license to manufacture its own Patriot interceptor missiles, and production could begin in as little as two to three months.
