Financial Times, citing sources, reports that Russia’s military leadership convinced Vladimir Putin that Russia could seize the remaining part of the Donetsk region by autumn. After that, the newspaper says, Russia lost interest in negotiations.
According to the paper’s sources, Putin is becoming “increasingly obsessed with capturing Donbas,” even though he had previously expressed readiness to freeze the fighting along the current front line. FT says he now plans to take the region in full and raise the price of peace by expanding territorial demands. At the same time, the Russian leader still believes that the Ukrainian front will “collapse.”
Kyiv, for its part, is frustrated that Donald Trump, in its view, did not put enough pressure on the Kremlin to soften Moscow’s demands. The Ukrainian side believes that after halting the Russian offensive and carrying out strikes deep inside Russia, the country became less vulnerable to US pressure aimed at securing an unfavorable deal.
As a result, FT writes, neither Moscow nor Kyiv now “sees much value in continuing negotiations,” despite statements by the US president that the sides are close to a settlement. In the newspaper’s assessment, the end of the war against Iran is unlikely to change this.
Other statements and context
- On May 9, Putin said that, in his opinion, the war in Ukraine was nearing its end, and added that he was ready to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a third country.
- The day before, Trump said he had “no” understanding with Putin that Russia should gain control over all of Donbas. He also said the end of the war in Ukraine was “very close” and that he was ready to do “whatever is necessary” to settle it, including going to Moscow.
- The last round of talks between the United States, Ukraine, and Russia took place on February 16, and the following meeting was postponed shortly before US and Israeli strikes on Iran.