Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a proposal from his own advisers to halt the war along the current front line and instead reprimanded them, as he remains determined to continue fighting despite mounting pressure inside Russia, Reuters reported, citing three Kremlin-linked sources. According to two sources, Ukraine’s recent long-range drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, ports, and fuel infrastructure have strengthened Putin’s resolve rather than pushing him toward negotiations.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. One source who regularly meets Putin said he had “dug in his heels” to achieve his key objective of capturing the remainder of Ukraine’s Donbas region. The same source told Reuters that Putin recently rebuked a group of advisers who suggested freezing the conflict along the current front line as the basis for a ceasefire. Another source said Putin believes Russian forces will eventually seize the rest of Donbas and is therefore unwilling to compromise. The sources added that there is a “high probability” that Russia will escalate the war in the coming months rather than move toward peace negotiations. Their comments contradict recent statements by US President Donald Trump, who said after speaking with both Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky that ending the war was “closer than people realize.” Responding to Reuters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted Russia remained open to a peaceful settlement but said Moscow had “enough capability to act independently and continue the special military operation,” referring to the invasion using the official Kremlin glossary.