Putin intends to prolong the current peace talks to acquire more Ukrainian territory.

The Kremlin is deliberately extending peace discussions to acquire additional territory and bolster its position in dealings with the US, sources familiar with Russian leadership’s thought process indicate.

They opine further that Putin will agree to a truce only if it serves Moscow’s interests, which include:

The Kremlin intends to legitimize its occupation, specifically to compel the West to recognize the occupied territories as part of Russia, while expecting Washington to overlook its ongoing military actions. The Kremlin is focused on the complete capture of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions and is considering the possibility of invading other areas, like Dnipropetrovsk or Sumy, with the intention of later offering to trade these for control of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

An approach that relies on prolonged negotiations. The Kremlin is attempting to replicate its strategy from 2014-2015, when extended talks allowed Russia to buy time and maintain its grip on Donbas.

A truce on Russian terms. While the Kremlin is contemplating a temporary ceasefire, it is already accusing Kyiv of breaching the ceasefire. Russia aims to outline the ceasefire’s conditions in a manner similar to the Minsk agreements, which could take months.