Mr. Putin may accept an armistice agreement with the provision of recognition of Russian-controlled areas, according to close sources.
Reuters Today, citing five anonymous Russian sources, President Vladimir Putin expressed disappointment with “Western efforts to obstruct negotiations” and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to refuse peace talks.
“President Putin can pursue the conflict as long as possible, but is also ready to reach a ceasefire and freeze the fighting,” said a senior Russian official who has worked with Putin and is familiar with the discussions there. said the highest level at the Kremlin.
Western analysts believe that Mr. Putin appointed economist Andrei Belousov as Russia’s Defense Minister to put the country’s economy into a long-term wartime state to gain an advantage in a prolonged conflict. The move took place after Russia applied pressure and continuously won many territories from Ukraine in the previous weeks.
Mr. Putin at a meeting in Moscow on May 22. Image: Reuters
However, sources say that President Putin wants to take advantage of the current situation to end the fighting. “He believes that what has been achieved can be considered a victory for the Russian people,” a source revealed.
Mr. Putin seems to see that Russia will have to conduct another nationwide mobilization of reserve troops if it wants to significantly change the battlefield situation. This is something the Russian President does not want, especially when his approval rating has declined after the partial mobilization in September 2022.
All sources emphasize that President Putin will not make concessions in terms of the areas Russia is controlling, but can accept freezing the front line and maintaining the current territorial status quo.
“He can declare that Russia has won and defeated the NATO-backed attack effort, as well as affirm that Moscow maintains its territory and opened an additional land corridor to the Crimean peninsula. These are all things.” reality,” one person said.
Russia is controlling an area equivalent to 18% of Ukraine’s pre-conflict area, and has launched attacks deep into the territory of Kharkov province in the northeast of the neighboring country.
Freezing the conflict according to the current front-line status allows Russia to hold most of the territory of the provinces annexed by the country at the end of 2022, including Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, although Moscow does not yet fully control the area of the province. Which of these provinces?
A person who has worked with President Putin said that he also wants to avoid the risk of tension in society, when veterans return and are dissatisfied with job and income prospects.
However, the prospect of peace negotiations and ceasefire is still very distant.
President Zelensky once announced that he would not participate in any ceasefire agreement under Mr. Putin’s terms. He announced that he would regain all lost territory, including the Crimea peninsula, and signed a decree affirming that any negotiations with President Putin were “impossible”.
Military situation of Russia – Ukraine. Graphics: WP
Russian sources say the two sides will not reach any agreement while Mr. Zelensky is still in power, unless Russia works directly. with America. However, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that he did not believe the Russian leader had serious intentions for peace talks.
“Russia will continue to push forward and gain more territory until Mr. Zelensky proposes a ceasefire. Mr. Putin said that the West is currently unable to meet Kiev’s weapons needs and has a significant impact on soldiers.” weapons of the Ukrainian army,” a source said.
All five anonymous sources confirmed that the Russian President does not pay attention to the territories of NATO member countries, similar to what the Kremlin boss has stated. The two men mentioned concerns about escalating conflicts with the West, including the risk of nuclear war.
When asked to comment on Reuters’ information, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin has repeatedly affirmed that Russia is ready for dialogue to achieve its goals, emphasizing that Moscow does not want to be dragged into “eternal war.” constant”.
Ukraine has not yet commented on the information.
A US State Department spokesman said that peace initiatives need to “respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and internationally recognized borders”, and criticized Russia for obstructing negotiation efforts. “The Kremlin has not shown any signs that it wants to end the conflict, and is even doing the opposite,” this person said.