Conflicts

Vladimir Putin is no longer willing to sit down at the negotiating table with Kyiv following the incursion of Ukrainian troops into the Kursk region.

Moscow was caught off guard when several thousand Ukrainian soldiers easily crossed the border and advanced into this region at the beginning of August.

The Kremlin was forced to redeploy troops stationed on Ukraine's eastern front to Kursk to halt the enemy’s advance.

According to the independent media outlet Poyasnitelnaya Zapiska, citing sources close to the Kremlin, the Russian leader now seeks to annihilate Ukraine rather than negotiate peace, as the conflict has dragged on for over two years.

"The Kremlin has come to a corresponding conclusion that they will destroy Ukrainian statehood. The situation looks like it will end up in no-rules warfare and both sides are considering how to make things harder for the other", the outlet reported.

The source also mentioned that Vladimir Putin refuses to trade the Kursk region, parts of which are under Ukrainian control, for Ukrainian territories currently held by Russia.

Meanwhile, Russian forces have recently gained ground in the Donetsk region after capturing the city of Vuhledar.

This week, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to unveil his "victory plan" at a summit in Ramstein, Germany.

(QG - Source : The Moscow Times / Poyasnitelnaya Zapiska/ Picture: © Pixabay)