Putin Vows to Establish Control Over Donbas "By Any Means Possible" and Rejects Certain US Peace Proposals

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated today, Thursday, that Russia will establish control over the Donbas region "by any means possible," as he commented on the ongoing negotiations regarding a peace plan for Ukraine.

Putin explained that the US side divided the 27 points of US President Donald Trump's Ukraine peace plan into four packages and proposed discussing them separately. He noted that the US proposals, which were based on prior understandings with Trump during the Alaska summit, included "points that Moscow did not agree with."

Negotiation Context and European Concerns: Putin's remarks followed his meeting with US Envoy Steve Whitkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, a meeting where no significant progress toward a peaceful settlement was announced. This meeting was preceded by "fruitful" negotiations between the American and Ukrainian delegations in Florida, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Ukrainian and European officials voiced concerns over the original leaked 28-point US peace proposal, viewing it as capitulating to Moscow's main demands, which include:

• Recognition of Russian control over Crimea, Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.

• A pledge that Kyiv will never join NATO.

• Imposing restrictions on the Ukrainian military.

• Guaranteeing the protection of Russian speakers in Ukraine.

In response, European powers presented a counter-proposal, and subsequently, the US and Ukraine formulated an "updated and revised framework for peace." Ukraine considers the Russian demands as "surrender," which would eventually leave it vulnerable to a new Russian invasion, despite the US proposal of a 10-year security guarantee for Kyiv.

Warnings about Russian Goals: Ukraine and European powers believe that Moscow is waging a colonial-style war to seize territory, warning that if Russia triumphs, it will one day attack NATO members.