Putin Refused to Discuss the Return of Occupied Territories to Ukraine — Bloomberg
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is not considering the possibility of returning some of the seized territories to Ukraine as part of a potential peace agreement to end the war.
According to the publication Bloomberg, following his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska, Putin allegedly concluded that he had failed to achieve his desired results regarding Ukraine. After that, the Kremlin changed its approach to potential negotiations and refused to discuss territorial concessions.
Bloomberg’s sources claim that Putin currently intends to establish full control over the Donetsk region, as well as to keep under Russian control certain areas of the Sumy and Kharkiv regions near the border, which Moscow views as “buffer zones.”
Additionally, according to the sources, the Kremlin’s tougher stance is linked to intensified Ukrainian strikes on targets deep within Russian territory and the U.S. decision to support a new bill to strengthen sanctions against Russia.
This refers to an initiative that would potentially impose tariffs of up to 100% on the largest buyers of Russian energy resources.
Despite the pressure from sanctions, Moscow, according to sources, does not plan to return to negotiations in the near future. The Kremlin reportedly believes that Russia is ready to resume dialogue only after establishing control over the entire territory of the Donetsk region.
At the same time, there has been no official confirmation of such statements from the Russian authorities.
Bloomberg reports this, citing sources familiar with the mood in the Kremlin.
As a reminder, Russia, the aggressor state, is ready to return to negotiations with Ukraine only after seizing the entire territory of the Donetsk region, Bloomberg reports, citing two sources close to the Kremlin.
A BILD analyst speculated that Russia could capture Kostiantynivka by the end of the year.
Putin’s approval rating has plummeted to its lowest level since the start of the full-scale war, according to pollsters.
