Putin's Response to Trump's Ultimatum: Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to agree to U.S. President Donald Trump's ultimatum, which calls for Moscow to resolve the Ukraine conflict within ten days. Otherwise, the United States will impose 100 percent secondary sanctions against Russia and its trading partners, Reuters reports citing its sources.

“Putin's determination to continue fighting is driven by his belief in Russia's victory, as well as his skepticism that further U.S. sanctions will have any significant impact after the sequential waves of economic restrictions imposed on Moscow over the past three and a half years,” sources familiar with the matter have stated.

At the same time, the agency's interlocutors noted that Putin “would not want to spoil relations” with Trump and understands that there is a risk of missing the opportunity to improve ties between Moscow and Washington. As sources emphasize, for the Russian leader, national interests take precedence; therefore, his goal in the Ukrainian conflict is to liberate territories, and only after that to engage in peace negotiations, taking into account the realities on the ground.