President Vladimir Putin has doubled down on his core demands for ending the war in Ukraine, stating that Russia will lay down arms only if Kyiv's troops withdraw from territory claimed by Moscow.
Putin has long pushed for legal recognition of the Ukrainian territories Russia has seized by force. They include the Crimean peninsula, which it illegally annexed in 2014, and the Donbas, made up of Luhansk and Donetsk, which Moscow now occupies for the most part.
For Kyiv, which has ruled out relinquishing the parts of the Donbas it still holds, rewarding Russia for its aggression is a non-starter.
Speaking to reporters during a trip to Kyrgyzstan, Putin repeated his view that Russia has the initiative on the battlefield and that fighting would only end when Ukrainian troops withdrew from the embattled territories. If they don't withdraw, we'll achieve this by force of arms, he said.
Thursday's remarks mark the first time that Putin addressed the recent diplomatic engagements, which included intense discussions between the US and Ukraine over a peace plan reportedly drafted in October by American and Russian officials. The plan, heavily slanted toward Moscow, was revised but still does not address the critical issue of the occupied territories.
Putin stated that the new draft had been presented to Russia and could serve as the foundation for a future agreement to conclude the war but emphasized the need to discuss specific points that need to be put in diplomatic language.
During discussions regarding the recognition of Crimea and the Donbas as Russian territories de facto, Putin referenced these points as central to negotiations with American counterparts.
A US delegation led by special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected in Moscow soon. Furthermore, President Trump suggested that he would not meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky until remaining disagreements are resolved.
Putin dismissed warnings from European leaders regarding potential future Russian aggression against the continent, calling such claims laughable.
