President Vladimir Putin indicated on Thursday that he might be receptive to certain aspects of a new U.S. initiative aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine. However, he also issued a stern warning that Russian forces would persist in their operations in the Donbas region should Kyiv reject his ceasefire conditions.
“Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the territories they currently control for the hostilities to cease. If they choose not to, we will pursue this goal through military means,” Putin stated during a press conference in Kyrgyzstan.
He asserted that Russian military units are making progress on “all fronts,” and that the casualties suffered by Ukraine are exceeding Kyiv’s capacity to replenish its armed forces.
Putin reiterated his long-held assertion that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is no longer a legitimate leader, arguing that Ukraine’s postponement of its presidential elections due to martial law renders it “legally impossible” to reach an agreement with him.
“We desire to finalize a deal with Ukraine, but achieving that is practically impossible, legally speaking,” he stated. “The decision must be acknowledged at the international level.”
These remarks emerged amid a renewed diplomatic effort sparked by the leak of a 28-point peace plan initially developed by the Trump administration and purportedly by Kremlin officials. The plan has since been reduced to about 20 points, with U.S. officials suggesting that Ukraine has tentatively agreed to the revised version.
It remains uncertain whether Putin will endorse the amendments, which sources claim are “substantially more favorable” for Ukraine compared to the original framework, widely perceived as aligning more closely with Russia’s stance.
The Kremlin noted that the initial draft contained “many acceptable provisions,” but stressed that it requires “further refinement.”
During his press conference on Thursday, Putin reaffirmed this position, denying that Russian officials were actively involved in the creation of the original U.S. document following his meeting with President Donald Trump in Alaska in August.
“There was no draft agreement. There was merely a list of topics proposed for discussion,” he explained, mentioning that Kremlin representatives only reviewed the U.S. proposal following its media leak.
While Putin did not specify whether he endorses all the provisions, he indicated that “in general, we agree it could serve as a foundation for future agreements,” implying that some components align with Moscow’s negotiating stance.
Nevertheless, he criticized certain elements of the framework for lacking a serious legal framework, pointing to a clause that would obligate Russia to formalize a non-aggression policy toward Europe and Ukraine.
“It’s one thing to state in broad terms that Russia does not intend to attack Europe. To us, that notion seems absurd, as we never planned to,” he remarked. “But if they want a written assurance, that’s fine; we can provide that.”
Putin also took aim at European leaders who have issued warnings about potential Russian threats, asserting that some of these officials are “not quite right in the head.”
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Moscow next week with a delegation to meet with Putin and discuss the revised peace proposal that U.S. and Ukrainian officials formulated over the weekend in Geneva, Switzerland.
