Putin Rejected Frontline Ceasefire Proposal, Rebuked Advisers – Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a proposal from his own advisers to halt the war along the current front line and instead reprimanded them, as he remains determined to continue fighting despite mounting pressure inside Russia, Reuters reported, citing three Kremlin-linked sources.

According to two sources, Ukraine’s recent long-range drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, ports, and fuel infrastructure have strengthened Putin’s resolve rather than pushing him toward negotiations.

One source who regularly meets Putin said he had “dug in his heels” to achieve his key objective of capturing the remainder of Ukraine’s Donbas region.

The same source told Reuters that Putin recently rebuked a group of advisers who suggested freezing the conflict along the current front line as the basis for a ceasefire.

Another source said Putin believes Russian forces will eventually seize the rest of Donbas and is therefore unwilling to compromise.

The sources added that there is a “high probability” that Russia will escalate the war in the coming months rather than move toward peace negotiations.

Their comments contradict recent statements by US President Donald Trump, who said after speaking with both Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky that ending the war was “closer than people realize.”

Responding to Reuters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted Russia remained open to a peaceful settlement but said Moscow had “enough capability to act independently and continue the special military operation,” referring to the invasion using the official Kremlin glossary.

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Similar warnings from Europe

A senior Ukrainian official told Reuters that Kyiv’s intelligence also indicates that Putin is preparing for further military escalation rather than peace, including possible new operations inside Ukraine or against another European country.

Czech President Petr Pavel issued a similar warning in an interview with The Telegraph, saying Ukraine has roughly two months to push for negotiations before Russia could significantly escalate the war.

Pavel said Putin is unlikely to announce a large-scale mobilization before Russia’s parliamentary elections on Sept. 20 but may do so immediately afterward.

“President Putin will hardly declare mobilization before, but once the elections are over, then the window will shrink,” Pavel said.

The Czech leader argued that allies should intensify military and diplomatic pressure while Russia faces growing domestic problems, including fuel shortages caused by Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure.

“Russia has a lot of internal problems and challenges at this point,” Pavel said. “The Russian public is turning increasingly against the war.”

According to Pavel, continued Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russian territory could eventually force Moscow back to negotiations.

“We have to really keep pushing hard, give Ukraine what they need to be successful in their defense... Russia has no other choice than to negotiate,” he added.

Unrelenting strikes on Russian oil

Repeated Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, fuel depots, and ports have triggered fuel shortages across Russia, while recent opinion polls show Putin’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest level since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

The strikes led to a massive drop in Russian oil refining capacity – over 42% by Kyiv’s estimations – and a sprawling fuel crisis increasingly felt by the Russian public thousands of kilometers from the front as fuel rationing was imposed nationwide. 

Ukrainian officials say the attacks are intended to weaken Russia’s ability to sustain its war effort, while European leaders argue the growing pressure presents an opportunity to force Moscow back to negotiations before the Kremlin considers broader escalation later this year.

Despite those pressures, Reuters’ sources said the Kremlin currently views military escalation as the path toward securing what Putin considers a necessary battlefield victory in Donbas.