The Kremlin said on Monday that Ukraine should withdraw its troops from the parts of Donbas it still controls if it wants peace, warning that Kyiv could lose additional territory if it fails to reach a deal with Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, who spoke on Sunday ahead of Trump’s meeting in Miami with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, were expected to hold another call soon.
Russia currently controls around one-fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, about 90% of Donbas, roughly three-quarters of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and small parts of the Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions, according to Russian estimates.
Russia claims Donbas, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as its own territory, though most countries recognise them as part of Ukraine.
WHAT MOSCOW IS SAYING
When asked about remarks by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov suggesting Kyiv needed to make a decision on Donbas, Peskov said Ukraine should withdraw its armed forces from the areas it still controls.
“We are talking about the withdrawal of the regime’s armed forces from the Donbas,” Peskov said.
He declined to say whether the same demand applied to the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and refused to comment on proposals for a free economic zone in Donbas or on the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Peskov also said no call between Putin and Zelenskiy was being discussed.
WHY IT MATTERS
The Kremlin’s comments underline Russia’s hardline position ahead of renewed diplomatic contacts involving the United States, and suggest Moscow is unwilling to compromise on territory it currently occupies. They also reflect Russia’s effort to increase pressure on Kyiv by warning of further territorial losses if Ukraine does not agree to a settlement on Moscow’s terms.
The United States has emerged as a key intermediary, with Trump holding talks with Zelenskiy and maintaining direct contact with Putin.
Ukraine has repeatedly said it will not recognise Russian claims over occupied territory, while Western governments continue to back Kyiv’s sovereignty.
Russia, for its part, has sought to frame territorial concessions as a prerequisite for ending the war.
WHAT’S NEXT
Peskov said another call between Putin and Trump was expected soon, potentially setting the stage for further U.S.-led diplomacy. There were no indications from the Kremlin of any softening in Russia’s demands, and no timeline was given for further talks involving Ukraine directly.
With information from Reuters.