This was the first time Vladimir Putin has commented on the latest US peace proposal. Will Russia agree? Is a deal close? It didn’t sound like it.
There was plenty of conciliatory language at the start of his press conference which was designed to show a willingness to reach an agreement.
Donald Trump‘s plan can provide “the basis for future agreements”, he said. Russia is ready for “serious” discussions. He even expressed a willingness to discuss European security.
But “discuss” doesn’t mean “agree”, and it certainly doesn’t mean “compromise”.
And as the questions grew more specific, and the focus turned to the various sticking points in a peace deal, the Kremlin leader’s language hardened, revealing a familiar theme.
On the most contentious point of territory, he described recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea and the Donbas as a “key point” to the negotiations with the US.
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That recognition, remember, was one of the proposals that made the initial 28-point peace plan so unpalatable for Ukraine.
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They’ve managed to get it removed from the latest draft, but it’s clear that Putin wants it back in. On this issue, there’s clearly still no middle ground.
And he also had a warning for Kyiv and its European allies regarding their demands for a ceasefire, saying: “Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the territories they hold, and then the fighting will cease. If they don’t leave, then we shall achieve this by armed means.”
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It doesn’t sound like the language of someone who wants peace. It sounds like someone who won’t stop until they have what they want. Someone whose core demands remain undiluted.
Whether it’s on the battlefield or at the negotiating table, Russia is still pursuing a victory.
Putin also reiterated a long-standing gripe over the legitimacy of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s presidency, claiming it means a legally-binding deal with Ukraine is impossible as things stand.
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It sounded suspiciously like Moscow’s latest play for time. It’s not Russia’s fault there’s no peace plan – it’s the legal small print.
So when US envoy Steve Witkoff visits Moscow next week for talks in the Kremlin, it seems very unlikely he’ll leave with an unconditional agreement to America’s latest peace plan.
