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Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia is prepared to continue its military campaign to achieve all objectives should Ukraine fail to agree to a negotiated settlement.
His comments were made in China, following his attendance at a significant military parade widely interpreted as a challenge to the United States and the existing global order.
While U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to persuade Putin to de-escalate the conflict, the Russian leader, while acknowledging Trump’s “sincere desire,” has thus far refrained from doing so.
During a visit to Kyiv, U.K. Defence Secretary John Healey told the BBC that Trump had initiated dialogue with Putin but had not ruled out increasing pressure on the Russian leader.
He stated that nations like the U.K. were willing “to put extra economic pressure on Putin… and to give extra aid to Ukraine so they can keep in the fight”.
Last month, President Trump engaged Putin in discussions in Alaska, marking a departure from international isolation for the Russian leader.
He also advocated for a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“I have never ruled out the possibility of such a meeting. But is there any point? Let’s see,” Putin remarked on Wednesday.
He further emphasized that any such meeting would require careful preparation to ensure productive outcomes, and suggested that Zelensky could visit him in Moscow – a proposition swiftly deemed “knowingly unacceptable” by Ukraine’s foreign minister.
President Zelensky has emphasized Putin’s reluctance to engage in direct talks as a means to encourage President Trump to impose sanctions on Russia and bolster Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
Russia initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
When questioned by a Russian state TV journalist in Beijing about the potential for a swift resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, President Putin suggested that “there is a certain light at the end of the tunnel”.
“It seems to me that if common sense prevails, it will be possible to agree on an acceptable solution to end this conflict,” Putin stated. “If not, then we will have to resolve all our tasks militarily.”
He reiterated that Russia would not cede control of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, which is currently under the control of Russian troops.
The Russian leader reaffirmed his demands that Ukraine refrain from seeking NATO membership and cease what he characterized as discrimination against ethnic Russians – an allegation previously cited as justification for the invasion.
Putin implied that security guarantees offered by Ukraine’s Western allies following a future peace agreement would not encompass the Donbas regions, referencing widely criticized votes held after the annexation in which residents purportedly expressed a desire to join Russia.
On Thursday, the French President will convene a meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing,” a group comprised of Ukraine’s allies.
According to a source at the Élysée, President Macron’s office, the group aims to secure U.S. support for a plan that would exert pressure on Russia to agree to a ceasefire, while simultaneously extending immediate security guarantees to Ukraine, rather than waiting for a formal peace agreement.
During their summit in Alaska last month, President Trump urged Putin to consider a ceasefire; however, he later indicated that the pursuit of a peace agreement would be a more effective approach to resolving the conflict.
Putin has rejected calls for a truce, and Russian forces have intensified their attacks on Ukrainian cities. On Wednesday night alone, over 500 Russian drones and 24 cruise missiles were launched.
The U.K. Defence Secretary told the BBC that, once a peace agreement was in place, the U.K. and more than 30 other nations would “help make the skies safe, to make the seas safe, and to secure the land”.
“We’re determined to make sure in the meantime we don’t jeopardise that peace by forgetting about the war, and that’s why we’re stepping up military aid to Ukraine,” John Healey said.
“It’s why we’ve passed today £1bn ($1.24bn) of seized Russian assets, recycled into military aid and kit to Ukraine. If you like, Putin’s dirty money returned with interest.”
The two leaders discussed how organ transplants could help people live to 150-years-old.
The Chinese and Russian leaders have been in power for 13 and 25 years respectively, with neither expressing any intention of stepping down.
Donald Trump will be hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle.
Experts suggest the strike – which killed 11 alleged cartel members – may be illegal under international law.
The wartime Alien Enemies Act has been controversially used to deport Venezuelans to a mega-jail in El Salvador.
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