Russian President Vladimir Putin made a strictly conditional statement on the possibility of accepting a US-backed peace plan to end the nearly four-year conflict in Ukraine. He suggested that the proposal put forward by Donald Trump could serve as a foundation for future agreements; yet he made direct military threats to Ukraine.
Russia has, meanwhile, confirmed that Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to visit Moscow next week.
‘Ready to talk, but…’
At a press conference in Kyrgyzstan, Putin was asked about Trump’s proposal, parts of which have been leaked or shared.
He confirmed that a “variant” of the plan, which was discussed by the United States and Ukraine in Geneva, was given to Russia. He also acknowledged that the US took Russia's stance into account in some respects.
"In general, we agree that this can be the basis for future agreements," he said, but stressed that specific issues still needed discussion. He said he was ready for talks with the US anytime.
But Putin swiftly paired this with an ultimatum for Ukraine. "Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the territories they hold" for fighting to cease, he said. If Ukrainian forces refuse to withdraw, Putin asserted, Russia would achieve its goals "by armed means".
{{/usCountry}}But Putin swiftly paired this with an ultimatum for Ukraine. "Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the territories they hold" for fighting to cease, he said. If Ukrainian forces refuse to withdraw, Putin asserted, Russia would achieve its goals "by armed means".
{{/usCountry}}He even called the Ukrainian leadership illegitimate, citing Kyiv's refusal to hold elections after President Volodymyr Zelensky’s elected term expired. Putin claimed it was "legally impossible to sign a deal with Ukraine".
He further stressed that the international community must also recognise Russian territorial gains in Ukraine.
Trump’s ‘skewed’ proposal
The proposals championed by the US administration — Trump claimed "tremendous progress" on it recently — has drawn condemnation for being "skewed toward Russian demands".
Critics, including leaders in the Trump's Republican and opposition Democratic parties in the US, have described the leaked plan as amounting to a "Russian wish list".
The plan has since been balanced somewhat, reports have suggested. The original one included territorial cessions by Ukraine. This meant Kyiv would be required to cede the entire Donbas region to Russia, and recognise Russia’s de facto control over Crimea, thereby freezing the conflict along current frontlines in regions like Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
It also called for Ukraine to dramatically reduce the size of its military, and prohibit the deployment of foreign troops or long-range weapons on Ukrainian soil.
Crucially the proposal mandated an agreement from Europe that Ukraine would be permanently barred from joining the NATO military alliance. Ukraine's NATO-joining desire was one of the reasons cited by Russian leaders for the war.
Where Zelensky now stands
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is now under immense pressure. He earlier described the plan draft as an "impossible choice" between either the "loss of dignity" or risking the "loss of a key partner" (the US). He acknowledged the war’s heavy toll, thus hinting that compromises might be unavoidable by saying. "Even the strongest metal can break," he has recently said.
Yet, after last-minute negotiations by Ukraine's European allies with the US, the draft proposal was reportedly revised and reduced from 28 to 19 points.
Ukrainian officials have since indicated that Kyiv is now ready to move forward with the revised plan, and prepared to discuss the remaining "sensitive points" directly with President Trump.
Despite the diplomatic flurry, the war continues on the ground, serving as a grim backdrop to the negotiations. Reports emerged of a large Russian drone attack damaging residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia this week.
(With inputs from Reuters)