US wrong to think escalation of Ukrainian strikes can help end war: Kremlin

MOSCOW, July 9: Russia said on Thursday the United States was wrong to believe deep Ukrainian strikes into Russian territory could help bring about an end to more than four years of war, and warned that they could prolong it.

Speaking at a NATO summit in Turkey on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Russia was finding it harder to defend its own skies, adding that this would hopefully create more space to negotiate an end to the war.

U.S. President Donald Trump said: "It's an escalation, but it's also an escalation that can help lead to an end."

Asked about their statements, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters there were "certain misconceptions within the White House administration... regarding the idea that escalation and military pressure can help pave the way for a peaceful settlement." He said this was a flawed premise, adding that what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine might go on for longer as a result.

"It will result in our having to establish a larger security zone �" a larger buffer zone," Peskov said. 

"Consequently, stoking tensions and taking actions that drive escalation will in no way contribute to the peace process."

President Vladimir Putin is rejecting calls to negotiate peace with Kyiv, three sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters, with Ukraine's recent drone strikes on Russia's oil refineries and ports strengthening his resolve to keep fighting for now.

Two of the sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Putin was instead likely to escalate the conflict, now well into its fifth year. One of them, who meets regularly with the president, described a “high probability" of escalation in the coming months.

The comments come after U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said that Putin wanted the war to end and that a resolution was “closer than people realize.” Trump held separate phone calls with Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy last week. He met Zelenskiy at the NATO summit on Wednesday where the Ukrainian president said they discussed “ideas to bring peace closer.”

The White House did not respond to requests for comment. The same source said Putin recently rebuked a group of advisers suggesting a compromise based on a ceasefire along the current front lines. The second source said Putin believes Russia will soon capture the Donbas. �"REUTERS