The Russian invasion Russian reactions

Kremlin: Putin not willing to "freeze" the front lines

Russia cannot imagine freezing the Ukraine conflict along the current front lines in the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya. That's what spokesman Dmitry Peskov says, according to the Moscow Times.

- (Putin) has repeatedly said that no option where the conflict is frozen will work for us. It is important that we achieve some goals.

This after five high-ranking Kremlin sources told Reuters that Putin is ready to discuss a peace settlement with Donald Trump, and that he is open to giving up his claim to the parts of the four regions that Russia does not yet occupy.

The SVR chief: The countries that send weapons must be punished

Russia will retaliate against NATO countries that allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons against Russian territory. This is what Sergei Naryshkin, head of the Russian intelligence service SVR, says in an interview according to Reuters.

Countries that support Ukraine "will not go unpunished," he says.

Naryshkin also says that Putin's new nuclear doctrine, which among other things gives Russia the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of a major attack, means that it is "practically impossible" to defeat Russia.

He claims that Putin's decision "limits the room for manoeuvre" for the US and the EU.

Sources: Putin is open to peace talks with Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to discussing a ceasefire deal in Ukraine with Donald Trump, reports Reuters, which has spoken to five senior Kremlin sources. At the same time, they emphasize that Putin's tough demands remain. Among other things, he wants to stop Ukraine from joining NATO and keep large Ukrainian lands.

The five sources state that the Russian regime is willing to freeze the conflict along the front line in order to keep Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson. The Kremlin is open to withdrawing Russian forces from Kharkiv in the north and Mykolaiv in the south.

At the same time, the sources emphasize that Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use American long-range weapons against Russian territory could "complicate" an agreement.