Vladimir Putin has lost interest in diplomatic efforts to end his war with Ukraine and instead appears set on seizing as much Ukrainian territory as possible, according to three people briefed on conversations with the Russian president.<\/p>\n
Putin, who was seriously considering a peace deal with Ukraine after Russia suffered battlefield setbacks last month, has told people involved in trying to end the conflict that he sees no prospects for a settlement.<\/p>\n
\u201cPutin sincerely believes in the nonsense he hears on [Russian] television and he wants to win big,\u201d said a person briefed on the talks.<\/p>\n
Though Moscow and Kyiv agreed their first draft communique at a meeting in Istanbul in late March, talks stalled after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of committing war crimes against civilians in cities such as Bucha and Mariupol.<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n Vladimir Putin has lost interest in diplomatic efforts to end the war, according to three people briefed on conversations with the Russian president.<\/p>\n Instead, he appears set on seizing as much Ukrainian territory as possible.<\/p>\n New, with @HenryJFoy<\/a>:https:\/\/t.co\/CPNKgCVga7<\/a><\/p>\n — max seddon (@maxseddon) April 24, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n