Russian President Vladimir Putin rejects calls to negotiate peace with Kiev, three Kremlin-close sources told Reuters, and recent Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries and ports have strengthened his resolve to continue the war, at least for now.
Two of the sources, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said that, on the contrary, Putin is willing to escalate the conflict already in its fifth year. One of them, who regularly meets with the Russian president, described a “high probability” of escalation in the coming months.
The comments come after US President Donald Trump stated on Monday and Tuesday that Putin wants to end the war and that a solution is “closer than people realize.”
Trump recently held separate phone conversations with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On Wednesday, the two met on the sidelines of the NATO summit, where Zelensky said they discussed “ideas to bring peace closer.”
The White House did not respond to requests for comments.
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