Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled on Thursday that Moscow would halt its war in Ukraine only if Ukrainian troops abandon territories Russia insists belong to it. If Kyiv refuses, he warned, Russian forces will push forward until those areas are taken through combat. His remarks came during a trip to Kyrgyzstan and framed the conflict as a struggle that Russia intends to win either through negotiation or raw military pressure.
Front line reports show Russian units inching through eastern Ukraine in slow and bloody fighting. Ukrainian forces remain outgunned and badly stretched, a situation that has helped Moscow’s forces grind ahead village by village. Despite the battlefield pressure, Washington is trying to revive diplomacy and has circulated a new proposal aimed at pausing a conflict that has entered its fourth year.
Putin said the plan is being revised but could form an initial basis for discussion. The earlier draft, prepared in Washington without Europe’s involvement, caused uproar because it required Ukraine to pull back from parts of Donetsk and effectively accept Russian control over Lugansk, Crimea and other occupied territories. Kyiv and several European capitals condemned it. The United States trimmed the document over the weekend and is expected to present a firmer version in upcoming talks, with American negotiator Steve Witkoff due in Moscow next week.
Read also: Switzerland To Host Ukraine-US Talks On Trump Peace Plan
Ukraine’s leadership wants long term Western security guarantees written into any agreement, arguing that only binding commitments can prevent Russia from returning with another invasion. Putin acknowledged seeing the new text and described it as workable enough to continue discussions.
On the ground, he claimed Russian forces had surrounded Ukrainian troops in Pokrovsk and Myrnograd, which remain among the most contested areas in Donetsk. Ukrainian officials quickly rejected the claim and said their lines were intact. Putin also cited advances around Vovchansk, Siversk and the approaches to Guliaipole, describing the offensive as one Ukraine can barely resist.
He further cast doubt on President Volodymyr Zelensky’s legitimacy, arguing that signing an agreement with him would be legally complicated, a position Kyiv dismissed as political maneuvering.
Data reviewed by analysts at the Institute for the Study of War shows Russian forces gaining an average of 467 square kilometres each month this year, a faster pace than in 2024. The invasion, launched in February 2022, has reshaped Europe and left hundreds of thousands dead while displacing millions from their homes.