Vladimir Putin is unlikely to comply with the sanctions ultimatum of US President Donald Trump, which expires this Friday, and will maintain the goal of capturing four regions of Ukraine entirely, sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters.
According to three sources familiar with the discussions in the Kremlin, Putin's determination not to stop at what has been achieved is explained by his conviction that Russia is winning, and his skeptical attitude towards the idea that further American sanctions will have a significant impact after a series of economic sanctions over three years of war.
The sources named Putin's goal as the complete capture of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions of Ukraine, which Russia claims as its own, only after which the Kremlin is ready to talk about a peace agreement. Russia sees no logic in stopping at the moment of military successes achieved during the summer offensive. According to the Finnish military-analytical center Black Bird Group, in the last three months, Ukraine has suffered the largest territorial losses of 2025, including 502 square kilometers in July. In total, Russia has occupied about one-fifth of Ukraine.
The current negotiation process, during which Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met three times since May, was an attempt by Moscow to convince Trump that Putin is not abandoning peace, said the first source, adding that the negotiations were devoid of real substance, except for discussions of humanitarian exchanges.
As Reuters sources noted, Putin is concerned about the recent deterioration of relations with the US, but does not believe it is time to end the war, as neither the Russian people nor the army would understand if he stops now.
One of the sources told the agency that there is a feeling in Moscow that "there is little more they can do to us." Moreover, in Moscow, they believe that sanctions may not necessarily be imposed, as Trump "has threatened before."
Furthermore, Russia does not believe that China will stop buying Russian oil at the request of the US, and the supply of ammunition and military personnel from North Korea allows the war to continue under sanctions.
Photo: Reuters