Putin Threatens Full Donbas Seizure As Trump Peace Talks Stall

Putin Threatens Full Donbas Seizure As Trump Peace Talks Stall

Vladimir Putin has warned that Ukrainian forces must withdraw from the Donbas or Russia will seize the remaining territory by force, doubling down on hardline demands that undermine the latest US-led peace push. Speaking to India Today ahead of a state visit to Delhi, Putin dismissed any compromise over Ukraine’s eastern region, insisting Moscow would “liberate these territories by force” if Kyiv refused to cede them. Russia already controls around 85% of the Donbas; President Volodymyr Zelensky has again ruled out surrendering land.

Putin’s comments landed just hours after President Donald Trump said his negotiators believed the Kremlin “would like to end the war” following talks in Moscow. But Putin admitted he hadn’t even seen the revised version of the US peace plan before meeting envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump adviser Jared Kushner, forcing a laborious point-by-point review. Moscow still rejected parts of the proposal, leaving at least two major sticking points: the status of Russian-occupied Ukrainian land and binding security guarantees for Kyiv.

Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov declared that the talks yielded “no compromise,” claiming Russia’s battlefield advances have strengthened its hand. Kyiv sharply rejected the Kremlin narrative—Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybhia accused Putin of “wasting the world’s time,” saying Moscow is deliberately stalling to seize more territory. Zelensky said there is a “real opportunity” for a negotiated end to the war, but only if backed by sustained pressure on Russia.

Behind the scenes, unease is spreading across Europe. Germany’s Der Spiegel reported a leaked transcript of a conference call in which European leaders warned that Washington might pressure Ukraine into territorial concessions without solid security guarantees. French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly feared the US could “betray Ukraine,” while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz cautioned Zelensky to be “extremely careful.” Finnish President Alexander Stubb urged allies not to leave Ukraine “alone with these guys.” Paris later disputed Der Spiegel’s wording, citing confidentiality; Berlin and Helsinki declined to elaborate.

US and Ukrainian negotiators, who met in Geneva last month, claim to have produced an “updated and refined” peace framework, but details remain closely guarded. European representatives also held separate meetings, trying to balance their own security concerns with Washington’s diplomatic urgency.

The White House insists Trump’s national security team—led by Secretary Marco Rubio, Witkoff and Kushner—is “working tirelessly” to craft a durable agreement. But with Russia advancing slowly in the south-east, and Putin hardening his demands in public, the gap between peace-talk optimism and battlefield reality appears to be widening.

Key Takeaways

• Putin insists Ukraine must abandon Donbas or face full military seizure.

• Trump’s envoys report “productive” talks, but Moscow rejected key elements of the plan.

• European leaders fear the US may pressure Ukraine into territorial concessions without strong security guarantees.

Source: BBC