Russia plans to step up ballistic strikes on Ukraine as peace talks fail
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russia is preparing for possible attacks on Ukraine to intensify after the Kremlin concluded that talks to end the war have reached a dead end, Bloomberg reports.
According to three people familiar with the matter, Moscow is considering stepping up ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv, including the center of the capital, as well as infrastructure targets in other Ukrainian cities.
The sources said the talks have effectively collapsed and the sides are back where they started. The sources do not believe that economic pressure from sanctions or Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries and logistics facilities will force Russian president Vladimir Putin to end the war.
Moscow is also increasingly viewing Ukrainian strikes as attacks by NATO countries because they provide Western weapons and intelligence to Ukraine.
The situation with the talks
US efforts to end the war have failed to produce a breakthrough. According to Bloomberg, the talks have effectively stalled, partly because the administration of US President Donald Trump has been focused on the conflict with Iran.
The Kremlin has also given up hope of a deal that Putin and Trump were expected to reach during their meeting in Alaska.
One of the main sticking points remains Russia’s territorial demands. Moscow expects the US to pressure Ukraine into handing over the eastern part of the Donetsk region. Ukraine has consistently rejected this demand.
Kremlin prepares for further escalation
According to four other people close to the Kremlin, Moscow sees few alternatives to further intensifying the fighting to achieve its goals if there is no diplomatic progress.
Russia is still waiting for possible new proposals from Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, but Bloomberg’s sources see very little chance of a quick breakthrough.
Meanwhile, US Deputy Representative to the UN Dan Negrea called on Russia and Ukraine at a UN Security Council meeting to stop attacks on civilian targets and return to the negotiating table.
He stressed that there is no military solution to the war and that Washington is ready to support peace talks.
Meanwhile, Keith Kellogg, former US Special Envoy for Ukraine, said he does not expect the war to end soon. According to Kellogg, Putin is not ready to stop and may seek to seize more Ukrainian territory.
