Russia controls over a sixth of Ukraine’s territory.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin greets participants in the final stage of the 5th International Financial Security Olympics via video link from Moscow. Photo: AFP.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in Bishkek on Thursday that he will cease his Ukraine attack if Kyiv withdraws from land Moscow claims as its own. Otherwise, his army will take it by force.
The Russian army has been slowly but methodically grinding into eastern Ukraine in expensive fights against outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian troops.
Meanwhile, Washington has restarted its efforts to end the almost four-year war, presenting a surprise plan that it expects to finish during upcoming talks with Moscow and Kyiv.
“If Ukrainian forces leave the territories they control, we will cease combat operations,” Putin stated during his visit to Kyrgyzstan. “If they don’t, then we will achieve it by military means.”
Russia controls around one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory. One of the most significant impediments to the peace process is the issue of occupied land, which Kyiv has stated it will never cede.
Another key topic in the discussions is Western security assurances for Ukraine, which Kiev claims are required to prevent Moscow from invading again in the future.
Washington’s initial plan, draughted without involvement from Ukraine’s European partners, would have seen Kyiv withdraw from its eastern Donetsk territory and the US de facto recognise the Donetsk, Crimea, and Lugansk regions as Russian.
The US scaled back the original plan over the weekend in response to objections from Kiev and Europe, but the amended version has yet to be disclosed.
Putin, who has seen the revised plan, believes it might serve as a starting point for negotiations.
“Overall, we agree that it could form the basis for future agreements,” he added of the most recent draft, which the US is reported to have trimmed by approximately 20 points.
US negotiator Steve Witkoff is set to visit Moscow next week to discuss the amended text, according to Putin.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s top presidential assistant, Andriy Yermak, has confirmed that US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will be visiting Kyiv later this week.
In his speech Thursday, Putin claimed that Russia has encircled the Ukrainian army in Pokrovsk and Myrnograd in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, which is the most heavily contested area and a primary objective for Moscow’s forces.
“Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov are completely surrounded,” he stated, using the Russian names for the city.