President Putin said that recognition of occupied Crimea and Ukraine’s eastern Donbas area as Russian would be a “key moment” in talks with the United States.
“That must be a subject of our talks with the American side. Thank you for paying attention to that. It’s one of the key moments,” Putin said at a press conference in Kyrgyzstan. He was responding to a question about the future status of the regions, and whether Washington might recognise them as de facto Russian (the situation in practice), rather than de jure (a situation officially recognised by law).
The 28-point draft plan for peace in Ukraine leaked this month proposed that “Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk will be recognised as de facto Russian, including by the United States”. Luhansk and Donetsk are the regions making up Donbas.
Kyiv might accept recognition of de facto Russian control as it would not impinge on Ukraine’s constitution, which says its borders are “indivisible and inviolable”.
Russia ‘not planning to attack Europe’
Russia’s president said that his country was “not planning to attack Europe” and dismissed the notion as funny.
He did suggest that he was willing to put such as commitment in writing. President Putin told a press conference in Kyrgyzstan: “It’s one thing to say that Russia is not planning to attack Europe. For us that sounds funny, of course, we never intended such a thing, but if they want to hear that from us, well then, let’s record it [in an agreement], no problem.”
In an apparent reference to France reintroducing a limited form of military service in response to growing fears of a confrontation with Russia, he added: “There are people there [in Europe], it seems to me, who have slightly lost it, when they, or some rascals who want something for that, say publicly to their populations that Russia is preparing an attack on Europe and we need to immediately strengthen our armed forces.”
Troops rehearse evacuating casualties during war games in central France this month
THOMAS SAMSON/AFP
Questions to answer before final deal, says Putin
President Putin said at a press conference in Kyrgyzstan that there were “no final versions” of an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, but rather a series of questions to address.
“It would be impolite on my part to to speak now about some kind of final versions,” he said. “Because there aren’t any.”
He added that negotiations should proceed in “diplomatic language”.
US sanctions ‘destroying relations with Russia’
President Putin has said he was “surprised” by American sanctions against Russian oil companies.
Last month the US imposed its toughest sanctions yet on the Russian energy sector, targeting the oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft.
Putin said that sanctions were destroying Russian relations with the US, adding that the Russian government was developing a package of retaliatory measures in case of “confiscation of Russian assets in Europe”, a reference to the European Union’s attempts to use some assets frozen under sanctions to support the Ukrainian war effort.
Putin: Witkoff is not biased towards Russia
President Putin has rejected the suggestion that the American envoy Steve Witkoff had shown himself to be biased towards Moscow in peace talks over Ukraine, describing the claim as nonsense.
Witkoff is expected to visit Moscow next week to meet Putin, but he attracted more criticism in Europe and the US this week after appearing in a leaked recording of a phone call to have advised the Kremlin on how to approach peace negotiations.
Putin told reporters it would have been surprising if Witkoff had thrown obscenities at Russia during the conversation. “This is nonsense,” he said, describing Witkoff as an American citizen who had defended the interests of his country.
Kyiv must withdraw ‘or Russia will take land by force’
President Putin has said Russia will end its offensive in Ukraine if Kyiv withdraws from territory that Russia claims as its own — but will otherwise take it by force.
“If Ukrainian forces leave the territories they hold, then we will stop combat operations,” Putin said. “If they don’t, then we will achieve it by military means.”
Trump-backed plan ‘can be basis for deal’
President Putin has said Russia agrees that the US-backed plan can be used as a basis for future agreements, but added that European security needed discussion.
Asked whether he knew who would represent the US at talks in Moscow next week, he said: “It’s clearly up to the president of the United States, we are waiting for them next week.”
Talks to hinge on 19-point plan
President Putin is speaking more than a week after President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff drafted a 28-point peace plan that initially alarmed Kyiv and many European allies due to perceived concessions to Moscow.
The plan was later reduced to 19 points after counter-proposals from European states and Ukraine were taken into account.
The Russian position on the latest proposals remains unclear and the Kremlin has appeared to move little from its earlier goals.
Putin makes televised address
Russia is ready for “serious” talks regarding peace in Ukraine, President Putin has said.
The Russian president was speaking at a security summit in Kyrgyzstan.
He said he did not have any aggressive plans towards Europe and called such a suggestion “ridiculous”.