Putin says Trump’s proposals to end Russia’s war against Ukraine require ‘difficult decisions’

On October 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at the Valdai Discussion Club regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's proposals to end Russia's war against Ukraine. Putin acknowledged that the proposals required "difficult decisions" for Moscow but stated that the Kremlin understood the move was in the right direction. He emphasized Russia's desire for "security guarantees" and conditions for "peace over the long term."

The Kremlin leader believed Russia aimed to resolve the conflict "as soon as possible through peaceful negotiations," provided certain "ultimatums" were met, including the occupation of the entire Donbas and Ukraine's neutral status. Putin claimed Russia was winning on the battlefield and could potentially seize the entire Donbas much sooner, though he preferred Ukraine to surrender the territory if terms were acceptable.

Putin also mentioned he was ready to resume negotiations immediately after Russia's State Duma elections and cited Ukrainian strikes as justification for his refusal to negotiate. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia had lost 248,964 troops from January to August 2023 and captured only slightly more than 1,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, with most of it subsequently liberated.

Zelenskyy stated that Russia had postponed its "deadline" for capturing the Donetsk region for the 15th time, setting Dec. 31 as the new target date. Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War suggested Russia's new strategy was to use large-scale combined strikes on Ukraine to force Kyiv to capitulate by spring 2027. In late September, U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Putin in Russia and later traveled to Ukraine for negotiations aimed at ending the war.

Kushner claimed most terms of a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia had been agreed upon, but Ukraine did not want to withdraw to that line.