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 the 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.
Putin’s remarks were the first comment he made on the hectic diplomatic moves of the last week, which saw the U.S. and Ukraine hold intense discussions over a peace plan reportedly drafted in October by American and Russian officials.
The plan, heavily slanted towards Moscow's demands, was subsequently revised. However, it is thought it does not address the issue of the occupied territories, which - alongside security guarantees for Ukraine - is the biggest sticking point between Moscow and Kyiv.
Putin mentioned that a new draft plan has now been shown to Russia and could become the basis for future negotiations. However, he emphasized it was absolutely necessary to discuss certain specific points that need to be put in diplomatic language.
Regarding the possibility of Crimea and the Donbas being recognised as Russian de facto but not legally, Putin noted, This is the point of our discussion with our American counterparts.
A U.S. delegation, including special envoy Steve Witkoff, is expected in Moscow next week. U.S. President Donald Trump informed that Witkoff may be joined by the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's top presidential aide Andriy Yermak has announced that U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is scheduled to visit Kyiv later in the week.
Trump previously mentioned there were only a few remaining points of disagreement between Russia and Ukraine, yet indicated reluctance to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky until these issues were resolved.
During his comments to reporters, Putin expressed contempt for the Ukrainian leadership, describing it as illegitimate and suggesting that signing documents with them would be futile.
Ukraine has been under martial law since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, leading to postponed elections and prompting pro-Russian commentators to question the legitimacy of President Zelensky's rule.
Putin dismissed warnings from European leaders regarding a potential Russian attack on the continent in the coming decades, stating, That sounds laughable to us, really.
