In an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin at the Kremlin on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow would not provide Ukraine with a chance to halt its military advance or force negotiations on terms favorable to Kyiv.

Putin described Ukrainian strikes on civilian infrastructure as part of an information operation aimed at undermining public confidence and sowing division within Russia. “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,” he said. “We will not give them the chance.”

The president noted that Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure are quickly repaired and do not affect the front lines, while Russia’s retaliatory strikes deep inside Ukraine are far more powerful. Moscow continues to work through multiple channels for a potential resolution.

Key points from Putin’s remarks include:
– Ukraine is attempting to distract Russian forces from their primary objective of fully liberating Donbass.
– Ukrainian troops have used Russian military uniforms in attempts to infiltrate areas under Moscow’s control.
– Russia’s energy sector operates steadily and has a large safety margin.
– No agreements were signed during the Anchorage talks, though possible pathways to resolve the conflict were discussed.
– Russia agreed to continue negotiations on all modalities raised by U.S. negotiators but expects them to return after the “hot phase” of Iran-related developments subsides.
– Putin expressed skepticism about European leaders’ ability to influence Trump’s position and acknowledged that Ukraine and Western allies never intended to implement the Minsk agreements.

The Ukrainian military’s targeting of civilian infrastructure is condemned as a deliberate strategy to incite internal division in Russia.