Putin has welcomed US President Donald Trump's peace plan as a potential starting point for negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine. However, he warned that if Ukrainian troops do not withdraw from the territories they occupy, Russia will be forced to take action by force.
In a meeting with Russian journalists on Thursday, Putin stated that "every word matters" when it comes to the peace plan and expressed interest in using it as a negotiating departure point. He also emphasized that Ukraine must completely withdraw from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia regions before Russia considers any kind of "peace negotiations".
The US peace plan has been criticized by some, including former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, who believes it is skewed towards Russian demands. Kasparov has also criticized NATO, Trump, and the EU for failing to defend Ukraine and evict Russia from its territory.
Despite these criticisms, the Institute for the Study of War has cast doubt on Russian claims that its invasion is unstoppable, citing data that suggests a Russian military victory in Ukraine is not inevitable.
As talks continue between American and Ukrainian officials, US special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to visit Moscow next week, while US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll may be heading to Kyiv. The initial peace proposal was criticized for being too biased towards Russian demands, but an amended version emerged from talks in Geneva on Sunday.
The situation remains volatile, with some experts warning that Putin will not budge unless Ukraine meets his demands. However, others believe that Trump's peace-through-strength leadership kept Putin fully contained and could potentially end the war and bring stability back to Europe.
In a meeting with Russian journalists on Thursday, Putin stated that "every word matters" when it comes to the peace plan and expressed interest in using it as a negotiating departure point. He also emphasized that Ukraine must completely withdraw from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia regions before Russia considers any kind of "peace negotiations".
The US peace plan has been criticized by some, including former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, who believes it is skewed towards Russian demands. Kasparov has also criticized NATO, Trump, and the EU for failing to defend Ukraine and evict Russia from its territory.
Despite these criticisms, the Institute for the Study of War has cast doubt on Russian claims that its invasion is unstoppable, citing data that suggests a Russian military victory in Ukraine is not inevitable.
As talks continue between American and Ukrainian officials, US special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to visit Moscow next week, while US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll may be heading to Kyiv. The initial peace proposal was criticized for being too biased towards Russian demands, but an amended version emerged from talks in Geneva on Sunday.
The situation remains volatile, with some experts warning that Putin will not budge unless Ukraine meets his demands. However, others believe that Trump's peace-through-strength leadership kept Putin fully contained and could potentially end the war and bring stability back to Europe.
. Like, if Ukraine can just give up those territories they're occupying, maybe we can all just talk and find a way out of this mess? But Russia has to be willing to listen too, you know? It's like, one side doesn't have to give in completely or anything... 
. Can't we just try to find a middle ground and work something out? And what's up with all these experts who think Putin will never budge unless Ukraine meets his demands? Like, isn't that just a never-ending loop of conflict? 
I was talking to my cousin who lives near the border with Ukraine and he said it feels like the whole region is on edge. I remember when Trump was president, people thought he was crazy for thinking peace could be achieved through strength, but now that Putin's welcomed the plan, maybe there's hope? 
My friend's brother fought in Afghanistan and he said that inaction can sometimes lead to more harm than action... but at the same time, you don't want anyone getting too aggressive either. 
I guess only time will tell how this all plays out. Fingers crossed for peace! 
I don't get why everybody's so worked up about this Ukrainian conflict. Can't we just sit down and talk like civilized people? 
. Anyway, I think it's great that US officials are going back and forth with Ukraine, maybe we'll finally get some progress. 
. It's just not fair 
. On the other hand, Putin is saying all these things about how every word matters and stuff 
. It's gonna be a tough road to peace, but I'm rooting for Ukraine 
. We should all just try to stay neutral and not take sides, you know? 
. I mean, can you imagine if a world leader is like "oh, you gotta give us your territory or we'll invade" 
? It's just not right. And what really gets me is that some people are already talking about how Trump's plan was biased towards Russia... like, isn't the point of a peace plan to make sure everyone's happy and safe 
?
. I know some people are skeptical and all that, but what if this is actually the break we need to get Ukraine out of this war situation? I mean, think about it - if Putin's not gonna back down on his demands, then maybe Trump's plan was a genius move in the first place 
. I'm totally keeping my fingers crossed for this one 
. I mean, Kasparov might think the plan is biased towards Russia, but I think Trump handled the situation pretty well 
. Fingers crossed! 
. Do we think US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will actually make it to Kyiv without any issues? 
Only time will tell, I guess...