In a strong statement from Bishkek on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented two different paths for the conflict in Ukraine. He showed he was conditionally open to a revised US peace plan, but at the same time, he gave Kyiv a firm military ultimatum. The Russian leader made these comments during a meeting with a group of allied countries. His words created a confrontational mood for upcoming diplomatic talks, which are scheduled between American and Russian officials in Moscow next week.
President Putin admitted that a US-supported peace proposal could be a "basis for future agreements." He said the plan agreed with some Russian positions, though other parts still needed discussion. However, this possible opening for diplomacy was immediately weakened by his main demand. He insisted that Ukrainian forces must completely withdraw from the entire Donbas region, including areas that Russia does not currently control. "Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the territories they currently hold – then the fighting will stop," Putin stated. "If they do not pull back, we will achieve this by military means."
The Russian president strengthened this tough position with a grim view of the war's direction. He claimed that Russian forces have the advantage on the battlefield. He also accused Kyiv of wanting to fight "to the last Ukrainian," a path he said Russia was, in principle, ready to follow. This military threat is very different from his offer of written security guarantees to European nations. He described these guarantees as protection against what he called "ridiculous" claims that Russia plans to attack other countries beyond Ukraine.
The international response to these demands has been very doubtful. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is showing disrespect for real peace efforts. European leaders remain deeply suspicious of Moscow's security promises. This is because, before the invasion in February 2022, Russia also denied it had plans to attack. The central problem remains the same: Ukraine believes giving up land violates its sovereignty and rewards aggression, while Russia demands that its claimed land annexations be legally recognized.
An independent research group estimates that it could take Moscow nearly two years to capture the remaining parts of the Donetsk region at the current rate of fighting. The upcoming diplomatic meetings are therefore very important. Talks in Moscow, followed by a visit to Kyiv by a US defense official, will test whether this new peace plan can bridge the deep divide between the two sides, or if both countries will accept a long and exhausting war.