Putin decides to intensify attacks on Kyiv: Kremlin does not expect resistance from Trump - media

Russian president vladimir putin has decided to intensify attacks on Ukraine's energy and critical infrastructure, expecting that US leader Donald Trump will not resort to decisive action in support of Kyiv.

This is reported by Bloomberg, citing sources.

According to the agency's interlocutors, putin is convinced that military pressure is the most effective tool to force Ukraine to negotiate on russian terms. The Kremlin believes that Trump's potential return to power opens up an opportunity to more actively promote his own agenda, since he does not demonstrate an intention to seriously intervene in the conflict.

After President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused to cede territory, Moscow intensified its shelling of Ukrainian military facilities and civilian infrastructure. As Bloomberg notes, recent talks between the US and russia in Alaska have strengthened putin's belief that Trump will limit himself to symbolic statements.

Although Trump this week expressed dissatisfaction with putin's actions and called for expanded sanctions against russia and its allies, he insists that the initiative be taken by European partners.

In particular, the US President called on the G7 countries to impose tariffs on Chinese and Indian goods due to the purchase of russian oil. The EU, for its part, is also discussing a new package of sanctions and seeks a faster rejection of russian liquefied gas.

Against the background of such restraint on the part of the West, the Kremlin, according to Bloomberg, sees an opportunity to press further, undermining Ukraine's defenses and bringing closer a dialogue that is beneficial to itself.

The russian side is already preparing new missile strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, considering this part of a strategy of attrition. The Kremlin is convinced that such tactics can weaken Ukrainian defenses and persuade Kyiv to make concessions.

Bloomberg also reports that during the talks in Anchorage, putin allegedly offered to freeze hostilities in southern Ukraine in exchange for concessions in the Luhansk and Donetsk Regions. He also put forward conditions for reducing the size of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and abandoning the course of joining NATO. Ukraine's refusal to accept these demands, according to the Kremlin, "justifies" the escalation.

The publication's interlocutors claim that putin is closely monitoring the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Gaza Strip. In his opinion, Israel is waging a much tougher campaign than russia in Ukraine, and the fact that the West is not too actively criticizing Tel Aviv's actions only confirms the Kremlin's choice for further escalation.

Despite this, putin does not abandon diplomatic channels and, as sources note, will maintain communication with the United States, but only on terms that meet his interests.