On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke in Bishkek and gave two different messages about the war in Ukraine. He said he might be open to a US peace plan, but he also gave a strong military warning to Ukraine. He made these comments during a meeting with leaders from other countries. His words create a difficult situation for talks planned between American and Russian officials next week.
President Putin said that a new peace plan from the United States could be a good starting point for an agreement. He said the plan includes some Russian ideas, but other parts still need discussion. However, he then made a major demand. He said Ukrainian soldiers must leave the entire Donbas region, including areas they still control. He stated, "If they do not pull back, we will achieve this by military means."
Putin also said that Russian forces are doing well on the battlefield. He accused Ukraine's leaders of wanting to fight "to the last Ukrainian," and said Russia is ready to continue. This strong military message was different from his offer to give European countries written promises that Russia will not attack them. He called fears of a wider Russian attack "complete nonsense."
World leaders are very doubtful about Russia's demands. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said Russia does not respect real peace efforts. European leaders do not trust Russia's security promises because Russia denied it would invade Ukraine before it actually did in 2022. The main problem remains: Ukraine will not give up its land, and Russia wants its control of that land to be officially recognized.
Experts think it could take Russia two more years to capture the rest of the Donetsk region at the current speed of the war. Upcoming visits by US officials to Moscow and Kyiv will test if the new peace plan can help. Everyone is watching to see if the two sides can find a solution or if the long and destructive war will just continue.