Key Points and Summary – Despite President Trump’s 50-day ultimatum and the threat of severe secondary sanctions, Vladimir Putin remains defiant, vowing to continue the war in Ukraine “until he gets what he wants.”
-According to a recent Reuters report citing Kremlin sources, Moscow believes it has the upper hand and can withstand any new economic pressure.
-This hardline stance was punctuated by another massive drone and missile barrage against Ukrainian cities.
-The Kremlin’s dismissal of Trump’s threats suggests that a diplomatic breakthrough is unlikely and that Russia is digging in for a prolonged conflict, regardless of the consequences.
Putin Won’t Give Up On the Ukraine War
As U.S. President Donald Trump grows tired of Vladimir Putin, giving Moscow 50 days to agree to a peace deal, the Russian president is digging in and showing no signs of backing down.
Reuters reported on Wednesday, July 16, that Vladimir Putin intends to keep fighting in Ukraine until Western leaders recognize his red lines.
Unfazed by Trump’s threats of secondary sanctions on countries doing business with Russia’s energy industry, Putin reportedly believes that the Russian economy can survive whatever measures Trump imposes next.
Additionally, the Russian leader also believes that its military, bolstered by a rapidly growing domestic ammunition manufacturing operation, is strong enough to continue fighting for as long as it takes.
Citing three sources close to the Kremlin, Reuters claimed that Putin will not end the war under pressure from Western governments.
“Putin thinks no one has seriously engaged with him on the details of peace in Ukraine – including the Americans – so he will continue until he gets what he wants,” one source said.
Despite efforts from Washington to convince Ukraine to be more accommodating of Russian demands, along with multiple telephone conversations between the Russian and American presidents, Putin believes that his negotiators have not sufficiently considered the details of Moscow’s demands.
Despite pressure from Washington for Ukraine to show more flexibility, and multiple phone calls between the U.S. and Russian presidents, Putin now says Western negotiators have failed to account for Moscow’s demands fully.
“Putin values the relationship with Trump and had good discussions with [U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve] Witkoff, but the interests of Russia come above all else,” the source also said.
What Happens Next in the Ukraine War?
The comments echo claims by some media outlets and Trump critics in recent months that the president fails to understand the complexities and nuances of the situation in Ukraine. It’s also not the first time that Russia has accused the president of failing to understand their intentions.
After Trump called Putin “absolutely CRAZY!” in a Truth Social post in May, the Kremlin responded by claiming the president was responding in an “emotional” way and that he did not “fully understand” their motives.
The news comes after Russia launched a new drone and missile barrage across Ukraine on Tuesday night. Hundreds of drones and one missile caused damage to crucial energy infrastructure and injured at least 15 people in the attacks.
The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that Russia launched 400 Iranian Shahed and decoy drones overnight, mostly targeting the northeastern city of Kharkiv.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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Jim
July 16, 2025 at 7:08 pm
It’s claimed by many war supporters Russia wants to destroy Ukraine.
But that’s not true.
What the Russians want for Ukraine is to revert to the status it had before the bloody, violent overthrow of the duly-elected president by Stepan Bandera hyper-chauvinists in 2014.
Neutrality, which it had from its 1996 constitution until the coup in 2014. Equal rights for Russian-speakers with respect to their language, culture and affinity for Russian heritage. And, a small-sized constabulary military force which, again, they had from 1996 until 2014.
The violent coup is the poisonous tree and everything after that is the fruit of said poisonous tree.
So, Russia doesn’t want to destroy Ukraine. They did want to remove the Stepan Bandera followers from power and still do… de-Nazification is the expression they use. But it’s not Nazism, it’s its own ideology of anti-Russianism generated from different historical sources.
In any event that’s what Russia wants: a reversion back to the pre-2014 status of Ukraine and recognition of all territorial annexation in this recent operation.
That’s not destroying Ukraine, that’s destroying the Nato dreams of warmongers in Washington who chose expansion up to Russia’s border and to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.
Didn’t happen, not going to happen.
What evidence suggests Kiev or its Nato sponsors have a strategy of reversing Russia’s gains on the battlefield? None exists or has been talked about beyond the tired old sanctions game that hasn’t worked from the beginning of the conflict.
Kiev should sue for peace… but they’re still betting they can drag the United States directly into the war… never mind such action would cause a General European War.
But Zelensky doesn’t care, heck, he’s already seen off close to a million dead Ukrainian soldiers… do you think for an instant he wouldn’t see a million American dead for his war if he could get it?
Of course, he would.
Apparently, Trump is too weak to step in and dictate a peace to Zelensky and the Banderites, so Russia will have to win it on the battlefield.
And, again, there’s no evidence sitting on the table that says anything other than Russia will achieve their objectives one way or the other …
… your choice.