Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a stark warning that Ukrainian forces must withdraw from the eastern Donbas region or Russia will seize the territory by force, dismissing any suggestion of compromise in efforts to end the ongoing war.
“Either we liberate these territories by force, or Ukrainian troops will leave these territories,” Putin told India Today. Russia currently controls around 85% of the Donbas.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly rejected any proposal that involves ceding land to Moscow.
Putin Responds to U.S. Peace Efforts
Putin’s comments come shortly after former U.S. President Donald Trump said his negotiators believed the Russian leader “would like to end the war,” following Tuesday’s talks in Moscow. Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, who met Kremlin officials, is expected to brief Ukrainian negotiators in Florida.
Trump described the talks as “reasonably good” but noted that peace would require cooperation from both sides: “It does take two to tango.”
Earlier versions of Washington’s peace proposal reportedly handed portions of Ukrainian-held Donbas to Moscow’s de facto control, though the delegation presented a modified plan to the Kremlin.
Putin said he had not reviewed the revised framework prior to meeting Witkoff and Jared Kushner. “We had to go through every point, that’s why it took so long,” he said, acknowledging that Moscow disagreed with parts of the U.S. proposal. He did not reveal the specific points of contention.
No Breakthrough in Talks
Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s top foreign policy adviser, said the meeting achieved “no compromise,” suggesting Russia’s negotiating position had strengthened after what Moscow describes as recent battlefield gains.
Ukraine maintains that Russia is deliberately dragging out negotiations to gain more territory. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybhia dismissed Putin’s approach, saying he was “wasting the world’s time.”
Zelensky stated that global sentiment now recognizes a real possibility of ending the war but stressed that peace talks must come with sustained pressure on Russia. Kyiv insists on robust security guarantees.
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators say they have refined the original American peace plan, which critics argued leaned heavily in Moscow’s favor. Details of the updated framework remain undisclosed.
European Leaders Fear U.S. Territorial Concessions
Germany’s Der Spiegel reported that European leaders expressed deep concern during a confidential call about Washington potentially conceding Ukrainian territory without securing firm security guarantees.
According to the transcript cited by the publication:
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French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly warned of a “possibility that the U.S. will betray Ukraine.”
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz cautioned Zelensky to be “extremely careful.”
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Finnish President Alexander Stubb said: “We mustn’t leave Ukraine and Volodymyr alone with these guys.”
The BBC has not independently verified the transcript.
The Élysée Palace denied Macron used the quoted language, declining further comment due to confidentiality. Stubb and Merz did not respond.
The White House defended its diplomatic efforts, saying its team is “working tirelessly to stop the killing” and is gathering feedback from both sides to shape a durable peace.
War Situation on the Ground
Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and now controls roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory. In recent weeks, Russian forces have eked out slow but steady advances in southeastern Ukraine, despite heavy casualties.
