According to close sources, President Putin may accept an armistice agreement with the provision of recognition of Russian-controlled areas. Reuters reported today, citing five anonymous Russian sources, that President Vladimir Putin is disappointed with Western efforts to obstruct negotiations and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to refuse peace talks. A senior Russian official who has worked with Putin and is familiar with the discussions at the highest level at the Kremlin said that Putin can pursue the conflict as long as possible, but is also ready to reach a ceasefire and freeze the fighting.
President Putin wants to take advantage of the current situation to end the fighting, believing that what has been achieved can be considered a victory for the Russian people. However, he will not make concessions in terms of the areas Russia is controlling. Instead, he may accept freezing the front line and maintaining the current territorial status quo. 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 neighboring country.
The prospect of peace negotiations and a ceasefire is still very distant, as President Zelensky has announced that he will not participate in any ceasefire agreement under Mr. Putin’s terms and has signed a decree affirming that any negotiations with President Putin are “impossible.” The two sides are unlikely to reach an agreement while Mr. Zelensky is still in power unless Russia works directly with America. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that he did not believe
