Moscow plans to fully occupy four Ukrainian regions by the end of the year

Vladimir Putin, photo: Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that Russian troops will be able to fully seize four Ukrainian regions claimed by the Kremlin by the end of the year.

This was reported by Bloomberg, citing a source familiar with the Russian president's position.

According to the source, Vladimir Putin expects a breakthrough in Ukrainian defences in the near future and does not intend to rush into peace agreements. This also means that he is unlikely to offer significant concessions during his phone call with US President Donald Trump.

European officials, as the agency notes, are concerned that Donald Trump may put pressure on reaching a political settlement, regardless of the situation at the front. According to Bloomberg, the American president is keen to end the war as soon as possible and plans to inform Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO allies of the results of his talks with Vladimir Putin.

Kremlin sources emphasise that despite talk of a ceasefire, Vladimir Putin is ready for a protracted conflict if it allows him to achieve his goals. Moscow also does not rule out new sanctions from the United States, but treats this without significant alarm.

At the same time, the agency notes that this confidence of the Russian leadership does not coincide with the assessments of Western experts. European analysts point out that Russia has suffered significant losses and does not have sufficient resources for a large-scale offensive. Similar opinions are expressed by some military officials in Russia, according to a source close to the Ministry of Defence. In particular, it is noted that Ukrainian drones significantly complicate and increase the cost of any offensive by Russia.

As a reminder, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that President Donald Trump is seeking to arrange a personal meeting with Vladimir Putin as soon as possible.

Earlier, Donald Trump said that the process of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia would not advance until he personally meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin.