Russian President, Vladimir Putin has insisted that Moscow will take control of Ukraines Donbas region by military or other means, reaffirming one of the Kremlins core demands as Ukrainian officials prepare for another round of peace discussions with the United States.Putin arrived in New Delhi, where he was received by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, shortly after meeting a US delegation led by special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow. At the same time, Ukrainian officials are traveling to the US for further discussions on a potential plan to end the ongoing conflict, according to a source familiar with the talks. In an interview with India Today, Putin said Russia would liberate Donbas and Novorossiya in any case, emphasizing that Moscows definition of victory remains tied to capturing and controlling those territories. When asked what victory would look like, Putin replied: We will finish it when we achieve the goals set at the beginning of the special military operation, when we free these territories.
One of Russias central demands is that Ukraine surrender areas in the Donbas region territories Moscow claims to have annexed but does not fully control. Putin has also revived the historical concept of Novorossiya, a term used during the Russian Empire and referenced in Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014. Despite these claims, analysts say Moscows progress has been slow. A recent assessment by the Institute for the Study of War suggested that, at the current pace, Russian forces would not fully seize the Donetsk region until 2027.Following his meeting with Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Putin said the negotiations were lengthy and detailed but noted that Russia disagreed with aspects of the US proposal. He repeated Moscows demand that Ukrainian troops withdraw from the Donbas and halt military operations. US President, Donald Trump described the meeting as very good, adding that both sides would need to cooperate further before any breakthrough could occur.Both Russia and the US have remained vague about any concrete progress, following the leak of a 28-point US plan last month. Several elements of that plan were seen as favorable to Russia and had previously been rejected by Ukraine and European leaders.Yury Ushakov, Putins foreign policy advisor, confirmed that territorial issues were discussed, calling them essential to resolving the conflict. He noted that some parts of the American proposal were more or less acceptable while others were not.Ukraines Rustem Umerov and Andrii Hnatov are heading to Miami to meet US officials and review the results of the Moscow talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said their mission is to obtain full information on Russias latest position and understand what other reasons Putin found to prolong the war.This upcoming session follows another high-level meeting earlier in the week, which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as productive with additional progress made.
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