For the kremlin, prolonging peace negotiations as much as possible is essential for seizing as much Ukrainian territory as possible and gaining leverage over Kyiv in its dealings with the U.S., as moscow is unable to make rapid advances on the battlefield. This was reported by "The Moscow Times", citing four sources close to the Kremlin.
All of these sources spoke on condition of anonymity to share details about sensitive diplomatic matters.
"Time is on our side right now, and we will try to make the most of it", - a russian diplomat told "The Moscow Times".
While putin stated that he is, in general, open to Trump’s proposed 30-day ceasefire, he emphasized that "nuances" are crucial for moscow—signaling that russia will insist on its maximalist demands before agreeing to lay down arms.
It was precisely these "nuances" that putin’s envoys were tasked with scrutinizing in detail during negotiations in Riyadh on Monday.
Ideally, the kremlin hopes that Washington will either silently allow russia to continue its advance on the battlefield while diplomatic talks take place or even pressure Kyiv into fully withdrawing its troops from the russian-occupied regions, including Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, according to a current russian official.
Moscow claims that the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts are russian territory, despite not fully controlling any of them.
The kremlin is determined to solidify control over these regions at any cost, as putin politically cannot afford to relinquish them after their status was enshrined in the russian constitution, said a kremlin-affiliated official.
"There is no constitutional mechanism for the separation of regions. We need all of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Either Trump forces them to leave, or we are told: ‘Enter into prolonged negotiations and simply use military force to establish control’. That would be the worst option for us because crossing the river is always a painful operation", - the official stated.
Additionally, russia may attempt to seize parts of another Ukrainian oblast, such as the Dnipropetrovsk or Sumy, and then offer an exchange for the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the official continued.
"We hope to find an option that does not involve forcing the Dnipro and storming Kherson (the city is on the right bank, while russian forces control the left). I sincerely hope it doesn’t come to that. It would mean thousands of casualties for us", - he said.
From a military logistics standpoint, russian forces in their current state cannot realistically aim for anything beyond the Sloviansk-Dnipropetrovsk area, he added.
"Physically, these forces cannot advance anywhere further or achieve anything more", - he said. "Reaching Odesa is, of course, impossible. And we don’t even need it".
As previously reported, nearly 80% of Ukrainians oppose the withdrawal of Ukrainian Armed Forces from the four oblasts if demanded by russia.