Putin Outlines Way To End War In Ukraine During India Visit

(MENAFN- Colombo Gazette) President Vladimir Putin has once again insisted that Ukrainian forces must leave the eastern Donbas region, warning that Russia will take control if they do not, and dismissing any compromise on ending the war. Currently, Moscow holds roughly 85% of Donbas.

“Either these territories are liberated by force, or Ukrainian troops withdraw,” Putin told India Today in an interview ahead of his state visit to Delhi. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, has firmly rejected any territorial concessions.

Putin's remarks come shortly after former US President Donald Trump stated that his negotiation team believed Russia's leader“would like to end the war” following discussions in Moscow on Tuesday. Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, who participated in the Kremlin talks, is scheduled to meet Ukraine's delegation in Florida.

Trump described the Moscow discussions as“reasonably good” but cautioned that it was too early to predict outcomes, noting,“It does take two to tango.”

The initial US peace proposal had suggested transferring parts of Donbas still under Ukrainian control to Russia's de facto authority. In Moscow, however, Witkoff presented a revised plan. Putin told India Today he had not reviewed this updated version prior to meeting Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law.“That's why we had to go over every point; that's why it took so long,” he said.

Putin also indicated that Russia did not agree with several aspects of the US plan.“At times we said yes, we can discuss this, but there were points we could not accept,” he explained, without specifying the contentious issues. Analysts note that at least two major disagreements persist: the fate of Ukrainian territory currently under Russian control and security guarantees for Ukraine.

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