MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has asserted that Kiev is deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure with the goal of inciting division within Russia and pressuring Moscow to pause military operations.
Speaking with journalist Pavel Zarubin at the Kremlin on Sunday, Putin stated: “They want to force Russia to suspend, at least for a short time, the advance of our troops along the line of contact and create conditions for launching negotiations on terms favorable to them — that is, to our adversary.”
The Russian president emphasized that Ukrainian strikes on civilian infrastructure are quickly repaired and do not impact frontline operations. He contrasted this with retaliatory strikes by Russia deep inside Ukraine, which he described as having significantly greater reach. Putin declared Moscow would not afford Kiev the opportunity to halt its military advance or force negotiations on terms favorable to Ukraine.
Additional remarks from the interview included: Ukraine is attempting to divert Russian forces from their objective of fully liberating Donbass; Ukrainian troops have used Russian military uniforms in infiltration efforts; Russia’s energy sector operates steadily with a large safety margin; no formal agreements were reached during Anchorage talks despite discussions on potential conflict resolutions; Russia agreed to continue negotiations on all modalities raised by U.S. negotiators after being asked to accept compromises; and Putin expressed doubt that European leaders could persuade President Trump to alter his position.
He also stated that Ukraine and Western nations never intended to implement the Minsk agreements, a point he said they now acknowledge.
