Three of the sources, familiar with discussions in Putin’s entourage, said the veteran Russian leader had expressed frustration to a small group of advisers about what he views as Western-backed attempts to hamper negotiations and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to rule out talks.
“Putin can fight for as long as it takes, but Putin is also ready for a ceasefire—to freeze the war,” said a senior Russian source who has worked with Putin and has knowledge of top-level conversations in the Kremlin.
He, like the others cited in this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity, given the matter’s sensitivity.
Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, in response to a request for comment, said the Kremlin chief had repeatedly made it clear Russia was open to dialogue to achieve its goals, saying the country did not want “eternal war.”
Ukraine’s foreign and defense ministries did not respond to questions.
Some Western military and political analysts saw the appointment of economist Andrey Belousov as Russia’s defense minister last week as placing the Russian economy on a permanent war footing in order to win a protracted conflict.
It was followed by Russia’s sustained battlefield pressure and territorial advances in recent weeks.
However, the sources said that Putin, re-elected in March for a new six-year term, would rather use Russia’s current momentum to put the war behind him. They did not directly comment on the new defense minister.
Based on their knowledge of conversations in the upper ranks of the Kremlin, two of the sources said Putin was of the view that gains in the
war so far were enough to sell a victory to the Russian people.
Meanwhile, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former PM of Denmark (2001–2009) and NATO Secretary General (2009–2014), wrote on X that “Bringing Ukraine into NATO is the only way to guarantee long-term peace and stability in Europe.”
