Russian President Vladimir Putin wants control over the entire Donbas. And for him, there is no option for this not to happen, writes the German publication Focus.de.
“Either we will liberate these territories by force of arms, or Ukrainian troops will leave these territories“, Putin said, according to Reuters . Donbas includes the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which have been the subject of disputes for years.
Since the start of the war in February 2022, Russia has taken control of 19.2% of Ukraine. This includes Crimea, large parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as areas in Kherson and Zaporizhia regions. However, according to Reuters, Ukraine still holds approximately 5,000 square kilometers of the Donetsk region.
The Ukrainian government categorically rejects Putin's demands. President Volodymyr Zelensky has stressed that Russia should not be rewarded for a war it started itself. Ukraine is not ready to give up its territories without a fight.
The Kremlin described its latest meeting with the US delegation in Moscow as "very useful". The discussions focused on proposals that Putin had previously discussed with US President Donald Trump. Russia has accepted some of these proposals and is ready to continue negotiations. However, no breakthrough or compromise has yet been achieved.
Putin accused the Europeans of obstructing the "peace" that Russia wants to achieve in Ukraine, namely the surrender of the Ukrainian state. Europeans should join the work of achieving peace in Ukraine, not stand in the way, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with the Indian newspaper “India Today“ on the eve of his visit to India.