Putin hints at ceasefire if Russia retains captured territories

Three of Reuters' sources, familiar with the discussions in Putin's circle, said that the Russian president expressed frustration to a small group of advisers over what he perceives as Western-supported attempts to impede negotiations and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision that talks are out of the question.

— Putin can fight as long as necessary, but he is also ready for a ceasefire to freeze the war, another Russian source who has worked with Putin and has knowledge of high-level discussions in the Kremlin told Reuters.

These five sources agreed to speak to Reuters only on the condition of complete anonymity. These are people who work or have worked with Vladimir Putin.

Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, was asked for comment. He stated that the Russian leader has repeatedly hinted that Russia is open to dialogue to achieve its goals because it does not want an "eternal war."

According to the Reuters agency, the appointment of economist Andrei Belousov as the Russian defence minister last week was seen by some Western military and political analysts as putting the Russian economy on a continuous war footing to win a prolonged conflict.

Two sources, based on knowledge of high-level Kremlin discussions, stated that Putin believes the current war successes are sufficient to sell the victory to the Russian people.

Reuters recalls that Zelensky has repeatedly declared that there is no chance for peace on Putin's terms. He has vowed to regain Ukraine's lost territory, including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. In 2022, he signed a decree formally stating that any talks with Putin are "impossible."

This is not the first time Kremlin sources have reported that Putin would be willing to end the war if he did not have to declare a complete defeat. In February, three Russian sources told Reuters that the United States had rejected Putin's earlier suggestion of a ceasefire to freeze the war.

In the absence of a ceasefire, Putin wants to seize as much territory as possible to increase pressure on Ukraine while trying to seize unexpected opportunities to capture additional territory, three sources said. Russian forces control about 7% of Ukraine's territory, and this month, they invaded the northeastern region of Kharkiv.

Ukraine is preparing for talks to be hosted next month in Switzerland, aimed at uniting international opinion on how to end the war. The talks were initiated by Zelensky, who said that Putin should not participate in them. Switzerland did not invite Russia.

Moscow stated that the talks would not be credible without them. Ukraine and Switzerland want Russia's allies, including China, to participate in the negotiations.

Speaking in China on May 17 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, Putin said that Ukraine might use the Swiss talks to persuade a broader group of countries to support Zelensky's demand for a complete Russian withdrawal, which, according to Putin, would be more of an imposed condition than serious peace negotiations.