Bloomberg has reported that Russian leader Vladimir Putin, ahead of a phone call with US President Donald Trump, is confident that he has the advantage on the line of contact and will be able to fully capture four Ukrainian oblasts by the end of 2025 and therefore will not rush to conclude a peace deal.

Source: Bloomberg, citing an unnamed source familiar with Putin’s views 

Quote from Bloomberg : "Putin is confident that his forces can break through Ukraine’s defences by the end of the year to take full control of four regions that he has claimed for Russia… That means the Russian president is unlikely to offer any meaningful concessions to Trump when the two leaders speak." [N.B. Ukrainska Pravda doesn't recognise Putin as president – ed.]

Details: European officials, according to Bloomberg, are currently concerned that Trump may try to push for a settlement regardless.

Bloomberg reiterated that Trump insists on a swift end to the full-scale war, now in its fourth year, and seeks to make a deal. Putin, for his part, has shown no signs that he is ready to stop hostilities, while his forces are slowly advancing on the battlefield.

"There's a growing sense that US efforts to impose a ceasefire are culminating and officials in Europe are unsure whether Trump will ramp up pressure on Russia or simply move on to the next challenge if they fail. Trump has promised to brief Zelenskyy and some of his NATO allies once he's finished speaking with his Russian counterpart," Bloomberg writes.

Sources close to the Kremlin tell Bloomberg that Putin is prepared for a prolonged war if needed to achieve his goals despite all talk of ending the fighting. He is also "sanguine" about the possible introduction of further US sanctions.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg writes that Putin's confidence in Russia's prospects on the battlefield contradicts Western assessments. According to European officials, Russia, having suffered huge losses in more than three years of fighting, lacks sufficient potential to achieve Putin's goals.

"That scepticism is also shared by many in the Russian military who are fighting in Ukraine, according to a person close to the Defence Ministry in Moscow. In particular, the person said, Ukraine's drone forces have made it costly and ineffective for Russia to mount large-scale offensives," Bloomberg noted.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon !