Reuters: Putin will not stop troops under Western pressure

Putin intends to continue fighting in Ukraine until the West agrees to his terms for peace. He has not been deterred by US President Donald Trumpʼs threats of increased sanctions, and his territorial claims could expand as Russian troops advance.

Reuters reports this, citing three sources familiar with the Kremlinʼs thinking.

Trump on July 14 expressed disappointment at Putinʼs refusal to agree to a ceasefire and announced a wave of arms shipments to Ukraine, including Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems. He also threatened further sanctions against Russia if a peace deal was not reached within 50 days.

Three Russian sources familiar with the thinking at the highest levels of the Kremlin said Putin would not stop the war under Western pressure. He believes Russia can withstand further economic hardship, including the threat of US tariffs on buyers of Russian oil.

“Putin believes that no one has seriously discussed the details of a peace deal in Ukraine with him, including the Americans, so he will continue until he gets what he wants… Putin values his relationship with Trump and had good talks with Witkoff, but Russia’s interests come first,” one of the sources said on condition of anonymity.

Putin’s conditions for peace include a legally binding promise that NATO will not expand eastward, Ukraine’s neutrality and limitations on Ukrainian armed forces, protection of Ukraine’s Russian-speaking citizens, and recognition of Russia’s territorial gains. He is also willing to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine with the participation of “great powers”, although it is unclear what this might look like.

Another source said Putin considered Moscow’s goals far more important than any potential economic losses from Western pressure, and was unfazed by U.S. threats to impose tariffs on China and India for buying Russian oil. Two sources said Russia has a battlefield advantage, with its war-oriented economy outpacing the production of key munitions by all of NATO.

“Appetite comes with eating,” the first source said, implying that Putin may seek to seize more territory if the war is not stopped.

Two others, independently of each other, confirmed the same. They said that Putin could continue fighting until Ukraine’s defenses collapse and expand his territorial ambitions to include most of Ukraine.

“Russia will act based on Ukraine’s weakness,” said a third source, adding that Moscow could halt its offensive after conquering four Ukrainian regions if it encounters stiff resistance.

“But if it [Ukraine] falls, there will be more conquests of Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy and Kharkiv.”

A second source said Trump has little leverage over Putin, suggesting that even if Washington imposes tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, Moscow will still find a way to sell it on world markets.

“Putin understands that Trump is an unpredictable person who can do unpleasant things, but he maneuvers to avoid irritating him too much.”

• On July 14, after meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the US President Donald Trump reported that he had concluded an agreement to supply weapons to Ukraine. He also declared the delivery of new Patriot systems.
• According to Axios, the United States will sell almost $10 billion worth of weapons to NATO allies for further deliveries to Ukraine — and thatʼs just the first phase. We are talking about the supply of missiles, air defense systems, and artillery shells.
• The Washington Post reports that Trump considered sending Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, but they have been removed from the list for now. Instead, the US may allow the use of 18 long-range ATACMS missiles already in Ukraine to their full range of 300 kilometers.

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