A peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine currently appears highly unlikely. According to insiders, Putin even wants to expand the war.
July 10, 2026, 10:08July 10, 2026, 10:08
Tobias Schibilla / t-online
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin According to information from the Reuters news agency, does not currently want peace negotiations with the Ukraine lead. Instead, he is preparing a further escalation of the war. Reuters cites three people close to the Kremlin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin: His plan for a quick victory against Ukraine did not work.Image: keystone
The recent Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries and ports have significantly strengthened Putin’s determination to continue the war. Two of the interviewees assume that Russia will further intensify the war. One of them told Reuters there was a “high probability” of an escalation in the coming months. What this might look like remained unclear.
The information contradicts statements made by the US President Donald Trump. He had phone calls with Putin and the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky declares that the Kremlin leader wants to end the war.
Putin should stick to war goals
Putin has recently put in their place those advisers who have advocated for a ceasefire along the front line, the Reuters report says. Instead, the Russian president is sticking to his goal of bringing the entire Ukrainian Donetsk region under Russian control. Another source was convinced that Russia would soon be able to completely take over Donbass.
A Russian soldier during a military exercise.Image: keystone
When asked by the news agency, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia was ready for a peaceful solution. At the same time, the country has enough options to continue the war independently. This statement contrasts, among other things, with the serious gasoline crisis that Russia is in due to the ongoing Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries and pipelines have slipped.
Other experts see signs of escalation
Reuters also quotes Ukrainian government circles who also warn of an escalation. Intelligence findings indicate that Russia is planning new advances against Ukraine.
There are also corresponding assessments from Russian military experts. Former defense official Andrei Ilnitsky writes in a newspaper article that a possible next phase of the war could include attacks on NATO bases in the Baltics and in Romania as well as European defense companies. When asked by Reuters, Peskov neither wanted to confirm nor expressly reject these considerations. He simply stated that Russia needed to strengthen its security.
Military expert Jack Watling from the British Royal United Services Institute believes that Russia could wage direct war against the NATO currently not the most likely scenario. Instead, could Moscow launch limited attacks on NATO territory in order to divide the military alliance over the question of a common response.