Putin intends to continue the conflict until the West makes concessions, and Trump might reduce Russia’s 50-day deadline.

Russian dictator Putin plans to keep fighting in Ukraine, aiming to seize more territory until the West accepts his terms; Trump’s threats to tighten sanctions have not intimidated him. Putin’s peace conditions include a legally binding promise that NATO will not expand eastward, Ukraine’s neutrality, a reduction of its armed forces, protection of the Russian-speaking population, and recognition of all occupied territories as Russian. Putin believes Russia’s economy and military are strong enough to endure any further Western sanctions.

“Moscow may halt its offensive after capturing four eastern Ukrainian regions if faced with strong resistance. However, if the defense collapses, the conquest of Dnipro, Sumy, and Kharkiv will occur”, said a Kremlin source.

Additionally, President Trump stated that the 50-day deadline he set for Moscow to reach a peace deal with Ukraine could be shortened. He warned that if no agreement is reached in that period, it “will be very bad”, and the US will escalate pressure through tariffs and new sanctions.

When asked about a potential meeting with Putin to discuss ending the war, Trump was non-committal. “We’ll see how things go. So far, I’m very disappointed in President Putin”, he said.

Regarding Ukraine attacking Moscow, he stated: “No, Zelenskyy should not attack Moscow”. The US is also not considering sending long-range missiles to Ukraine.