How murderous Putin is buying time to take Ukraine’s only bargaining chip off the table before he’ll EVER consider peace

MURDEROUS Vladimir Putin is buying time to take Ukraine's bargaining chips off the table before he'll even consider peace, experts believe.

Geopolitical analysts have told The Sun that the Russian tyrant is still plotting towards his ultimate goal of conquest despite saying he wants an end to fighting.

Putin on Thursday said he had "serious questions" about Washington's plan for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine but added that Moscow was ready to discuss it with US President Donald Trump.

Vlad said he wants to "remove the root causes of the crisis" before any fighting stops - a hint he wants long-desired concessions from the talks.

But experts believe the tyrant may just be stalling for time and using the talks in Jeddah, and any potential discussions between the White House and Kremlin directly, as a way to further his military aims.

Ex-military intelligence officer Philip Ingram said Putin was partly delaying because he wanted to expel Ukraine from Kursk and remove one of Kyiv's bargaining chips.

Ingram said: "He doesn't want a ceasefire which freezes front lines where Ukraine still occupies part of Russia."

Ingram also claimed Putin was diplomatically caught "where he can't really manoeuvre" as his objectives haven't changed.

Vlad also doesn't really want peace while he can continue fighting - but he needs to look like it.

Ultimately, Putin wants to achieve his objectives outright, or be able to "salami slice further parts of Ukraine at some stage in the future".

"He's done that by saying, yes, I accept a ceasefire. However, these are my conditions. That's typical Vladimir Putin," Ingram said.

Mykola Bielieskov, research fellow at the National Institute for Strategic Studies in Kyiv, said Moscow's primary goal with ceasefire talks was to sow more distrust between the US and Ukraine.

He said Putin was following classic Russian tactics that sow confusion and create openings to split Ukraine and its allies.

Putin's conditions for a ceasefire have presented unrealistic demands for Ukraine.

But Trump may try and force Zelensky to accept some of these unacceptable concessions on security and sovereignty to end the war.

But that would present Zelensky as a "spoiler" for peace in American eyes and sow discord in Ukraine against the US.

"So it's not only about dragging feet, it's about shouldering the responsibility on others, blaming others and putting them and other players against each other, and basically presenting them as the spoilers of peace."

If Washington were to become fed up with Kyiv it may then pause further weapons shipments and intelligence support as Trump did following the Oval Office row.

Eventually, Putin's meatgrinder would grind Ukraine down as it runs out of weapons and manpower.

Bielieskov said: "The Russian response, it was a kind of vintage in terms of creating confusion and trying to create an opening for the discord between us and and Ukraine."

He said if Putin believes Trump is willing to walk away from Ukraine, he won't compromise on his most ambitious goals.

Bielieskov said: "Even a weakened Ukraine, even a blooded Ukraine, which is still soaring, which is still independent, it's a major humiliation for him.

"He's a strong man, he's an autocrat... [an independent Ukraine] it's his biggest failure, his biggest trauma."

Bielieskov also said that it was important for Russia to participate in talks as a way of balancing against China.

He said that as Moscow wanted some relationship with Washington so that it had room to manoeuvre with against Beijing when it needed to.

John Kennedy, a Research Leader for RAND, said Putin will be participating in talks "looking for opportunities that work in his favour".

In particular, the ceasefire talks give the Kremlin an opportunity to talk directly with the White House.

After three years of being an outcast in the international system, Putin could soon be talking directly with its most powerful actor.

Kennedy said: "Putin will be patient and wait for opportunities, but he's not going to jump at the first set of proposals.

"In the meantime the war will likely continue, and Putin will be more able to cast himself as a responsible broker waiting for fair terms."

Kennedy said peace would suit Putin and stop the massive bloodshed his army has faced.

He said: "But there was little commitment to the idea of compromise in his words yesterday.

"In general, history shows that compromise with Putin is really an invitation to him to come back for more later."

Putin sent Trump a number of secret "signals" after he met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff yesterday.

Vlad sent him back to Washington with a special message, the Kremlin has claimed.

At Thursday afternoon's press conference, Putin warned Ukrainians still in Kursk "surrender or die".

On Thursday morning, Moscow claimed it had recaptured the key town of Sudzha off the Ukrainians in the Kursk region.

The Russians have released photos of the war-torn urban wasteland as it now stands.