President Vladimir Putin has reiterated his key demands for ending the conflict in Ukraine, stating that Russia will only cease hostilities if Kyiv’s forces withdraw from territories claimed by Moscow.
Putin has long advocated for legal recognition of the Ukrainian territories seized by Russia, including the Crimean peninsula, annexed in 2014, and the eastern Donbas region, largely under Moscow’s control.
Kyiv has rejected any notion of relinquishing parts of the Donbas it still holds, deeming it unacceptable to reward Russia for its aggression.
Following Putin’s address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia has “scorned” efforts “to truly end the war”.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Kyrgyzstan, Putin accused Kyiv of pursuing a strategy to fight “to the last Ukrainian,” a scenario he claimed Russia was “in principle” prepared for as well.
He restated his position that Russia maintains the initiative on the battlefield and that fighting would only cease upon the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbas, encompassing the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
“If they don’t withdraw, we’ll achieve this by force of arms,” he asserted.
However, Russia’s incremental gains in eastern Ukraine have come at a substantial cost in manpower. According to the Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think tank, it could take Moscow nearly two more years to fully capture the Donetsk region at the current pace.
These remarks mark Putin’s first address regarding the recent flurry of diplomatic activity, which included intensive discussions between the US and Ukraine concerning a proposed peace plan reportedly drafted in October by American and Russian officials.
The initial plan, heavily favoring Moscow’s demands, was subsequently revised during negotiations between Ukrainian and US representatives in Geneva, with European officials also participating.
However, it is believed that the revised plan does not address the issue of the occupied territories, which, along with security guarantees for Ukraine, remains a major point of contention between Moscow and Kyiv.
Putin stated that the new draft plan has been presented to Russia and could serve as the “basis” for a future agreement to end the war.
He added, however, that it was “absolutely necessary” to discuss “certain specific points that need to be put in diplomatic language”.
When questioned about the possibility of Crimea and the Donbas being recognized as under Russian de facto control but not legally, Putin responded, “This is the point of our discussion with our American counterparts.”
He confirmed that a US delegation, including special envoy Steve Witkoff, is expected to visit Moscow in the first half of next week. US President Donald Trump told reporters that Witkoff may be joined in Moscow by the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Zelensky stated in a video address late on Thursday that Ukrainian and US delegations would meet “to translate the points we secured in Geneva into a form that puts us on the path to peace and security guarantees.”
While the Ukrainian president did not specify names, his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, indicated that US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll was scheduled to visit Kyiv later in the week.
On Wednesday, Trump stated that there were “only a few remaining points of disagreement” between Russia and Ukraine, suggesting that any meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss these points was contingent on reaching a peace agreement.
During his remarks to reporters, Putin reiterated his disdain for the Ukrainian leadership, which he considers illegitimate, stating that there was therefore “no use” in signing any documents with them.
Ukraine has been under martial law since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, precluding the holding of scheduled elections. Earlier this year, the Ukrainian parliament unanimously voted to affirm the legitimacy of President Zelensky, whose term in office ended in the spring.
Putin also dismissed warnings from European leaders that Russia could attack the European continent within the next decades.
“That sounds laughable to us, really,” he said.
The White House and Donald Trump have expressed optimism regarding the recent diplomatic efforts for peace talks, but European leaders have repeatedly voiced skepticism about Putin’s genuine intent to end the war.
On Wednesday, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen accused Russia of maintaining a post-World War Two mindset and viewing the European continent as a “sphere of influence” where sovereign nations could be “carved up.”
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The European Commission chief said the EU would stand with Ukraine and support it “in every way”.
The US president said he had not heard the audio, but that it sounded like “standard” negotiations.
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