Sources: Putin ' s rejection of peace talks calls for possible escalation in the coming months

On 9 July, according to information from sources close to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected calls for peace talks with Ukraine, whose recent drone attacks on Russian refineries and ports further reinforced his determination to continue fighting. According to the source, Putin might instead escalate this conflict, which has entered its fifth year. According to one of the sources, “the possibility of escalating the war is very high” in the coming months. On Monday, the President of the United States, Trump, stated that Putin wanted an end to the war and that the solution was closer to what was perceived. Trump spoke with Putin and Zelensky last week. He met with Zelensky at the NATO summit on Wednesday, which indicated that they had discussed “the idea of bringing peace closer”。