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Russian President Vladimir Putin has officially commented on a US-backed peace plan to end the war in Ukraine.
Some shit you should know before you dig in: A few weeks back, the US rolled out a 28-point peace plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, but the proposal quickly faced strong backlash from Ukraine and its European allies due to its clear alignment with key Russian demands. The original plan included major concessions such as Ukraine ceding territory, reducing its military to a capped force of 600,000 troops, and abandoning its bid to join NATO. After intense diplomatic negotiations, the proposal was revised and condensed into a 19-point draft. The updated version, while still not publicly disclosed in full, is said to have removed or softened the most controversial elements (dropping the military cap and scrapping any general amnesty for war crimes). It now focuses more on security guarantees for Ukraine, mechanisms for de-escalation, and phased conflict resolution without immediate territorial concessions.
What’s going on now: While speaking during a visit to Kyrgyzstan, Putin offered his first direct response to the revised US-backed peace plan, calling it a potential step forward but reiterating that key Russian conditions must be met. “In general, we agree that this can be the basis for future agreements,” Putin said, while confirming that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive in Moscow next week for formal discussions. Despite this diplomatic opening, Putin made it clear that peace would only be possible under strict terms. “Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the territories they currently hold — then the fighting will stop. If they do not pull back, we will achieve this by military means,” he warned. Putin has continued to maintain that Russia expects full control of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Putin also doubled down on his claim that Ukraine’s current government lacks legitimacy, citing the absence of elections after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s term expired. “The Ukrainian leadership made a fundamental strategic mistake when it feared presidential elections,” Putin argued, adding that “the president has lost his legitimate status.” According to Putin, this complicates the legal process of negotiating a formal peace, and he suggested that any deal reached would need to be validated by the international community (including through recognition of Russia’s territorial gains).
In another pointed warning, Putin lashed out at the European Union’s proposal to use the value of frozen Russian assets to back a $160 billion loan to Ukraine. He called the move “theft of someone else’s property” and claimed it would undermine global financial trust. He added that the Russian government is preparing a package of reciprocal measures in response, although he did not specify what actions might be taken.
