Putin Reaffirms Push to Seize Donbas as Ukraine Heads to New US-Led Peace Talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin has doubled down on his demand that Moscow take full control of Ukraine’s Donbas region, insisting the territory will be seized “by military or other means” as Kyiv prepares for another round of peace talks with the United States.
Putin made the remarks during an interview with India Today while on a visit to New Delhi, shortly after meeting a US delegation in Moscow led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. His comments underscore the Kremlin’s longstanding position that securing Donbas — and the broader historical territory it calls “Novorossiya” — remains central to its war aims.
Ukrainian officials are meanwhile traveling to the United States for further consultations on a potential roadmap to end the conflict, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
Asked to define what victory would look like for Russia, Putin said it would come only after the “liberation” of Donbas and Novorossiya, reiterating that the goals set at the start of the invasion remain unchanged.
Despite the aggressive rhetoric, analysts say Russia’s progress on the battlefield has been slow. A recent assessment by the Institute for the Study of War suggested that at the current rate, Moscow would not fully capture the Donetsk region until 2027.
Putin confirmed that his talks with the US delegation were extensive but revealed disagreements over key elements of Washington’s proposal. He restated Russia’s demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from the Donbas and cease military operations. US President Donald Trump described the engagement as “very good,” though both sides indicated that significant work still lies ahead.
Talks follow the leak of a 28-point US plan last month — parts of which were viewed as favorable to Russia and dismissed by Ukraine and European partners. Yury Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, said territorial issues were discussed and described some elements of the US proposal as “more or less acceptable.”
Ukraine’s delegation — led by Rustem Umerov and Andrii Hnatov — is heading to Miami to review the outcome of the Moscow talks with US officials. President Volodymyr Zelensky said their task is to obtain “full information” on Russia’s latest position and understand “what other reasons Putin found to prolong the war.”
The session follows another high-level meeting earlier this week, which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as “productive,” with “additional progress made.”
