According to Putin, the peace plan that the United States is currently developing in dialogue with Ukraine could form the basis for a future agreement. The Russian president stated this after receiving a draft text drawn up following the negotiations in Geneva.
“In general, we agree that this can form the basis for future agreements,” Reuters quotes Putin as saying. According to him, the US has also taken Russian demands into account, but several points still need to be discussed at the same time.
Leaked phone conversations from “Moscow Steve” expose his dual role in the Ukraine peace plan
Moscow says it is ready for the next step and “serious” talks. An American delegation is expected in Russia next week. The Russian president confirmed that Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow for this.
The real estate developer, a friend of US President Donald Trump, plays a key role in the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Witkoff was criticized again in Europe and the US this week after a telephone conversation in which he advised a Kremlin adviser on how Putin should handle peace negotiations with Trump was leaked. Putin on Thursday rejected suggestions that the US envoy had been biased towards Moscow during the Ukraine peace talks, calling it nonsense.
Putin also said that Russia will “cease hostilities” if the Ukrainian army withdraws from areas claimed by Moscow. He emphasized that he wants to control the entire Donbas region before a ceasefire. “If the Ukrainian troops leave the occupied territories, we will cease hostilities. If they do not leave, we will expel them with military force,” he stated at the press conference in Bishkek. Putin added that the pace of Russia’s advance in all directions was “noticeably increasing.”
Putin stated that Russia is ready to discuss strategic stability with the United States, including issues related to nuclear testing. He also said his government is working on a package of retaliatory measures if the European Union decides to seize frozen Russian assets.
Putin further claimed that Russian troops have surrounded the frontline city of Pokrovsk, which Ukraine denies. According to Putin, the Russians now control 70 percent of the strategically important city. Maps from Deepstate, the Ukrainian research collective that closely monitors the war, show that at least half of the city is said to be occupied and that the other half falls under a gray zone. The Russian troops would advance north, east and south of the city.