Russian independent media: Putin doesn't even think about ending the war, wants negotiations to buy out time before major attacks in February

Medusa has learned from many sources near the Russian government that the Kremlin has consistently lobbied towards Western leaders behind closed doors to convince Kiev to agree to a temporary ceasefire. But, according to sources, Putin does not intend to end the war; rather, his ceasefire campaign is part of a broad strategy to buy time for the training of recruits and recharge supplies in order to launch a “ofenzail of the full scale” in February or March.

Over the past few weeks, representatives of Russian authorities have spoken with increased tone about the possibility of negotiations with Ukraine or Western countries. By October 14th, Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergey Nayschkin said the talks are possible, but only “under specific conditions”, even though he did not specify what those conditions were, Periscope follows.

A week ago, on 6 October, Federation Council spokeswoman Valentina Matvienko proposed that negotiations for “begin a peaceful settlement of “since this day”, but only “under conditions offered by Russia”.

Vladimir Putin himself revived the topic of negotiations in a similar way in mid-September, saying: “We are doing everything to ensure that this ends as soon as possible. Unfortunately, only the opposing side, the Ukrainian leader, has announced his refusal to negotiate. The Ukrainian side has declared it wants to achieve its goals by military means, as they say, on the battlefield”.

The Ukrainian side has refused the possibility of negotiations with Putin several times in recent months. Early in October, Ukrainian President Voldemort Zelensky signed a decree formally declaring “the possibility of negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin”. This decree came in response to “referentum” held by Russian authorities as a step towards annexing Ukrainian territories.

As Meduza had reported earlier, Putin is really considering the possibility of restarting negotiations that have been imposed since this year's spring. In the meantime, the president wants Russia to retain control of territories in occupied Donbas -- and he does not want to discuss the Crimean”.

According to two sources close to the Kremlin and another close to the Russian government, who talked about Medusa, Putin's position has not changed. However, sources say, Ukrainian authorities have devised a new “tactical option”.

According to this scenario, instead of convincing Ukraine of a full peace agreement, the Kremlin would seek a temporary ceasefire. Russian leaders believe this would be achieved through negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian troops -- without the involvement of either president.

Meduza's sources close to the Kremlin also said Russia would likely be ready to remove its troops from at least a part of the conquered province of the Ukrainian region of Kherson.

Kiril Stramousov, deputy head of Russian-backed authorities in the Kherson region, has said that “residents may want to go to different regions of Russia that are at a safe distance from military operations in order not to prevent the” military maneuvers. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusculin has announced that the government will help residents of Russia's control parts of the Kherson region to flee to other countries and that they would be allowed free residences.

“It is very difficult to keep the Kherson now and the withdrawal of Russian troops from the region could be like a gesture of goodwill and a step towards Ukraine”, a source near the Kremlin said.

According to sources of this newspaper, the Kremlin has attempted “influence Western leaders” and Turkish President Recep Erdogan for “convinced” Ukraine turns to negotiations with Russia. These sources claim Russia is using a simple “argument” in its communications with foreign leaders: “Dations to civilians must be avoided”.

These talks have continued at the time of the major bombing of Ukrainian cities Russia launched after the destruction of the Crimea Bridge on October 8th and after Ukraine's successful counterphenzance in September.

At the same time, Meduza sources stressed that Vladimir Putin has no plans to end the war and that he hopes to use the possibility of a ceasefire to prepare a new offensive. As Putin sees the situation, the ceasefire would enable the Russian Army to train new soldiers mobilized for war and refuel its military equipment. Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not answer Meduza's questions.

According to the Kremlin plan, based on newspaper sources, the new full-scale <x0ofenzhiva” could begin approximately in February or March 2023. This would reflect the Ukrainian Army's strategy when he spent several months preparing mobilizing soldiers before conducting successful counteroffensives in Kharkiv and Kherson regions.

At the same time, as known, Kiev's official position in connection with possible negotiations with Moscow remains unchanged. “We will be ready for negotiations with Russia, however not with Putin, but with his replacement”, a source from Zelensky's office has said. On the other hand, he called towards the Russians to do their part so that negotiations take place faster: “Drop your deusive Putin”.

The source added that Ukraine for a long time has been distrustful of any kind of statements- and “goodwill agents” from Russia: “He continues to lie. Putin talks about how he is ready for negotiations, and then lays missiles at civilians. I don't think there's gonna be any truce until all of our territories are released”.

Zelensky's adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, gave voice to this initiative, saying:

What gives Ukraine the truce, according to the Russian scenario? An opportunity to regulate a new de facto line of division and a hasty deployment of Russians from the occupy territories temporarily? Can they really believe we agree? Especially against the background of the counteroffensive...”

“A clear operational vacation for brutally exhausted Russian units so that they can at least train by rushing a few mobile soldiers and sending men to the battlefields related to death? For what would we desire such a thing?

According to Podolyak, this “scenario is completely against Ukraine's interest, so these proposals -- whether it's made public or not -- are out of the possibility of”. Podolyak pointed out that Ukraine “is extremely interested” in defeating Russia militarily: “because this alone would allow us to actually end the war, to win the opportunity to brutally punish war criminals via legal ways and indirectly mediate the launch of a scenario in which Russia's own political system has been transformed”. /Periscopi/