Putin's goal before starting peace talks with Ukraine is to completely seize the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, according to one of the sources.

The mock negotiations so far have been merely Moscow's attempt to convince Trump that Putin is not abandoning the deal with Ukraine, the source added.

One of the sources told Reuters that Putin is concerned about deteriorating relations with Washington and that the lack of progress in ending the war is irritating Trump. However, the dictator does not believe that now is the right time to end the war, because"neither the army nor the people" will understand him.

Another source said Putin values his relationship with Trump, but he"cannot afford to end the war just because Trump wants it."