Russia may intensify strikes on Ukraine as talks reach deadlock – Bloomberg
The sources claim that the negotiating framework has effectively collapsed and that the parties have returned to the starting point. At the same time, the Kremlin does not believe that the economic pressure of sanctions or Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries and logistics facilities will force Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to stop the war.
Moscow also increasingly views Ukrainian strikes as attacks by NATO countries. This is linked to the supply of Western weapons and intelligence to Ukraine.
Among other things, the outlet's sources said that, in the absence of diplomatic efforts, Moscow sees few alternatives but to escalate the conflict further to achieve its military goals. Although Russia hopes that representatives of the US president, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, will come to Moscow with new proposals, expectations of a breakthrough are very low.
According to people close to the Kremlin, more and more Russian officials are also beginning to "come to the conclusion that Putin could eventually opt to use tactical nuclear weapons as a last resort in Ukraine."
"The volume of chatter in Moscow from hawks advocating such a step has increased recently. An extreme response is viewed as possible because the only outcome worse than continuing the war for Putin would be losing it," Bloomberg writes, while adding that " there's no sign yet that Russia is preparing to fire nuclear weapons in Ukraine."
Background
According to The Times, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said, Ukraine, the US, and Europe have developed proposals to end the war. They include a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Ukrainian and Russian troops from the front line, and the creation of a buffer zone. Zelenskyi also said the US has additional proposals.
On August 22, Vladimir Putin called Ukrainian proposals for a peace settlement "exotic" and unacceptable to Russia. Putin refused to specify which "exotic proposals" had allegedly come from Kyiv. According to him, "this is a kind of probing of possible areas for agreements," and these proposals "have been voiced in one way or another before, but are now being presented in their own way in this situation."
On August 24, Zelenskyi called for Russia to be brought to the negotiating table and for sanctions to be strengthened. Earlier, Serhii Kyslytsia, first deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said Putin was not interested in negotiations and might be counting on a difficult winter for Ukraine.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also threatened to "freeze" Ukraine in winter. The Strategic Communications Directorate of the Armed Forces of Ukraine responded by promising to "warm up by the fire of Russian oil refineries."
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