President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he may be open to some elements of a U.S. plan to end the war in Ukraine, but issued a defiant warning that Russian forces would continue their advance in the Donbass region if Kyiv refuses to accept his conditions for a ceasefire.
“Ukrainian forces will have to leave the territories they currently occupy, and then the fighting will stop. If they don’t, we will achieve this by military means,” Putin told reporters during a press conference in Kyrgyzstan.
He claimed that Russian troops are advancing on “all fronts” and that Ukrainian losses now outpace Kyiv’s ability to replenish troops.
Putin also repeated his longstanding view that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is no longer a legitimate leader, arguing that Ukraine’s postponement of its presidential election under martial law makes it “legally impossible” to sign an agreement with him.
“We want to sign an agreement with Ukraine, but that is practically impossible, legally impossible,” he said. “We need the decision to be recognized at the international level.”
His comments come amid a renewed burst of diplomacy triggered by last week’s leak of a 28-point peace plan drafted by the Trump administration and, reportedly, Kremlin officials. The plan has since been pared down to roughly 20 points, and U.S. officials have hinted that Ukraine agreed to the revised version.
It remains unclear whether Putin will back the changes, which sources say are “significantly better” for Ukraine than the original framework, widely seen as closer to Russia’s position. The Kremlin has said the initial draft included “many provisions” it found acceptable, while still requiring “reworking.”
Putin echoed that stance at the press conference on Thursday as he denied that Russian officials played an active role in crafting the original U.S. document following his summit with President Donald Trump in Alaska in August.
“There was no draft agreement. There was a set of issues proposed for discussion and finalizing,” he said, adding that Kremlin officials only received and reviewed the U.S. proposal after it was leaked to the press.
While Putin did not say whether he supports all the provisions, he said “in general we agree that it can serve as the basis for future agreements,” suggesting some elements align with Moscow’s negotiating position.
Still, the president criticized parts of the framework as lacking a serious legal tone, citing one clause that would require Russia to codify a policy of non-aggression toward Europe and Ukraine.
“It’s one thing to say in general terms that Russia is not planning to attack Europe. To us, that sounds ridiculous, as we never planned to,” he said. “But if they want to hear it from us, fine, we can put that down in writing. No problem.”
Putin also lashed out at European leaders who have warned of potential future Russian aggression. Some of those officials, he said, are “not quite right in the head.”
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
