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By Isabella Harper | Staff Writer with Agencies
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reaffirmed his central conditions for ending the war in Ukraine. During a visit to Kyrgyzstan, he declared that Russia would only cease hostilities if Ukrainian forces fully withdrew from all territories that Moscow claims as its own. His statement comes days before planned diplomatic meetings in Moscow involving a United States delegation.
The territories in question include Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014 in violation of international law, as well as the broader Donbas region, composed of Luhansk and Donetsk. Russian forces currently control the majority of these areas. Kyiv rejects any settlement that would legitimize territorial losses and has repeatedly ruled out ceding the parts of the Donbas still under Ukrainian control. Ukrainian officials insist that accepting such conditions would reward aggression and undermine the foundations of European security.
Putin accused Kyiv of seeking to prolong the conflict to fight, in his words, to the last Ukrainian. He added that Russia was prepared, in principle, to continue the war on those terms. He reiterated that Russia holds the battlefield initiative and warned that if Ukrainian troops do not withdraw voluntarily, Russian forces will attempt to force their retreat.
Despite these claims, Russia’s territorial advances remain slow and costly. The Institute for the Study of War, based in the United States, has estimated that at the current pace, it would take Russia nearly two additional years to capture the remaining parts of the Donetsk region.
Putin also commented for the first time on the recent surge in diplomatic activity. Reports surfaced that the United States and Ukraine had engaged in detailed discussions about a peace plan initially drafted in October by American and Russian officials. The original draft reportedly aligned closely with Moscow’s demands. Later revisions attempted to rebalance the document, although the status of occupied territories remains unresolved. This issue, together with security guarantees for Ukraine, represents the central obstacle to any future agreement.
Putin confirmed that the latest version of the plan had been shared with Moscow. He described it as a possible basis for negotiation, yet stressed the need for further work on several specific points that must be crafted in careful diplomatic language. When asked whether Crimea and the Donbas might be recognized informally as under Russian control, even without legal recognition, Putin replied that this subject is part of the ongoing dialogue with the United States.
The Russian president announced that a United States delegation, including special envoy Steve Witkoff, is expected to arrive in Moscow early next week. He added that Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, may also participate. Trump told reporters that only a few points of disagreement remain between Russia and Ukraine. He indicated that any meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would depend on reaching an outline of a peace agreement.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak confirmed that United States Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is scheduled to visit Kyiv later in the week. Ukrainian authorities continue to emphasize the legitimacy of the current government. Martial law has remained in place since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, which has prevented the holding of scheduled elections. Earlier this year, the Ukrainian parliament unanimously extended the legitimacy of President Zelensky, whose term technically concluded in the spring.
Putin repeated his long-standing view that the current Ukrainian leadership is illegitimate. He argued that this leaves no practical reason to negotiate or sign formal agreements with Kyiv. His remarks reinforced scepticism among European governments, many of which doubt that Moscow is genuinely seeking to end the conflict.
Putin also dismissed warnings from European leaders that Russia could threaten European countries in the coming decades. He described such concerns as laughable. Yet European officials remain wary. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated on Wednesday that Russia continues to adopt a post-World War Two view of Europe, treating the continent as a sphere of influence in which sovereign nations can be carved up.
Although the White House and President Trump have recently expressed optimism about the accelerating diplomatic efforts, divisions persist between Western capitals over Moscow’s intentions. As negotiations begin to take shape, the central question remains unresolved. Ukraine refuses to abandon its sovereign territory, while Russia insists that its claims must be recognized. The gap between these positions continues to define the search for a viable path to peace.