The US is planning to explore the chances of ending the war with Russia. Kremlin chief Putin remains intransigent. He maintains that an agreement is impossible without Russian control over the Donbas. At a remarkable press conference, he made Europe an offer.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that he is prepared to formally commit Russia to refraining from attacking Europe as part of diplomatic negotiations. Speaking in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek, Putin said it was"complete nonsense" to claim that Russia intended to invade Europe."The truth is, we never intended to do that, but if they want to hear it from us, fine, then we'll put it in writing."
Read all the latest developments on the Ukraine war in our live ticker .
The Kremlin chief had paid a state visit to the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan and participated in a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). At the conclusion of his trip, he answered questions from Russian journalists. He commented on efforts to end the war in Ukraine, but maintained his hardline stance on the details.
Putin emphasized a general willingness to hold peace talks. He confirmed the visit of US representatives to Moscow in the first days of next week. Representatives from the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Presidential Administration are expected to participate in the negotiations. According to the Kremlin, US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is also expected in Moscow.
Witkoff had recently come under criticism for his alleged close ties to Russia. This was based on the published recording of a phone call with Moscow. Putin defended the US negotiator:"He is an American citizen and defends the position of his president and his country."
As a prerequisite for an agreement, Putin reiterated his demand for full Russian control over the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the Donbas."Ukrainian troops withdraw from the territories they hold, and then the fighting will stop. If they don't withdraw, we will achieve this militarily," he said. Trump has also proposed that Ukraine vacate these territories. Kyiv rejects this.
Putin did not specify which regions Ukrainian troops should withdraw from.
Russia is demanding the complete cession of the four regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, with the eastern territories being a priority for Moscow. The cession of these territories, which Russia does not fully occupy, was also part of the original 28-point plan proposed by the United States to end the war in Ukraine.
The text was amended following criticism from Kyiv and EU member states. Putin has received this new plan, which, according to sources close to the negotiations, has been reduced to around 20 points."Overall, we agree that this can serve as the basis for future agreements," Putin said in Bishkek. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had described the negotiations as"serious" on Wednesday.
Putin reported that his troops had advanced to within one to two kilometers of the city of Hulyaipole after a breakthrough in the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian forces had previously acknowledged significant problems near Hulyaipole. However, the Russian advance had been halted on the city's outskirts, and the situation was now under control.
Despite Ukrainian denials, Putin again claimed that the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region had been captured. He also asserted that Volchansk, on the Russian border and contested since 2024, was on the verge of being captured. In the Donetsk region, the cities of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad were said to be surrounded. The Ukrainian military acknowledges difficulties on these front lines but rejects the Russian account.
Russia currently controls one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. Ukraine has repeatedly and categorically rejected any territorial concessions. According to the Washington-based Institute for War Studies (ISW), the Russian army is making better progress in its advance in Ukraine compared to last year. In 2025, Kremlin troops captured an average of 467 square kilometers per month.
A journalist asked Putin about a passage in the US peace plan stating that the US would only recognize de facto Russian control over Crimea and other Ukrainian territories."That is precisely what our talks with the American side are supposed to be about," Putin said. He added that it was one of the key issues. Russia has declared the Crimean Peninsula, as well as the administrative regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, to be part of its territory. It has so far unsuccessfully insisted on international recognition of this declaration.
Putin again refused to sign any potential agreements with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy."The Ukrainian leadership made a fundamental, strategic error by being afraid of presidential elections, because since then the president has lost his legitimate status," he said. Kyiv points out that, according to Ukrainian law, elections cannot be held under the current martial law.
dpa/AFP/doli
