Moreover, sources cited by Reuters say that Putin intends to continue the fight in Ukraine until the West commits to his peace terms, and his territorial claims could expand as Russian forces advance.

One of the sources told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity, that Putin believes there have been no detailed discussions on the basis of a peace plan for the war in Ukraine.

“Putin believes that no one has seriously engaged with him on the details of peace in Ukraine – including the Americans – so he will continue until he gets what he wants,” the source said.

“Russia will act according to Ukraine’s weakness,” the third source said, adding that Moscow could halt its offensive after seizing the four eastern regions of Ukraine if it encounters strong resistance. “ But if that falls, there will be an even larger capture of Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy and Kharkiv ,” the source added.

Moscow's demands for an end to the war remain unchanged

The three sources cited by Reuters say that Putin will not stop the war, and he believes that Russia can endure other economic difficulties than those it has experienced so far.

The peace conditions outlined by Putin last summer, ahead of a peace summit in Switzerland, are the ones he has consistently repeated: a commitment that NATO will not expand eastward, Ukraine’s neutrality and limits on its armed forces, protection of Russian speakers living there, and acceptance of Russia’s territorial gains, even if the military does not have full control of the four regions currently occupied. These demands have been rejected by Ukraine and criticized by Kiev’s allies. 

Russia currently controls Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, and the entire eastern Luhansk region. In addition, the Russian army occupies more than 70% of the Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions, and parts of the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would send new weapons to Kiev. He also threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Russia and secondary sanctions on countries that continue to import oil and other goods from Russia if a peace deal with Ukraine is not reached within 50 days.