Putin suggests no Ukraine compromise in meeting with US envoys

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin made clear on Thursday that his nation would not budge on its firm stance regarding Ukraine, refusing to consider compromising on his core demands to secure control over territories Russia claims as annexed. During a Kremlin meeting with US envoys, the Russian leader also dismissed the idea of foreign peacekeeping troops being stationed in Ukraine, asserting that such a deployment would amount to a "continuation of war."

Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, both US envoys, joined the meeting after a series of talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at finding a resolution to Europe's most intense conflict since World War II. The US delegation urged Putin to permit European representatives to join the upcoming discussions, emphasizing the critical need for a comprehensive resolution.

Moscow has effectively shifted the narrative surrounding the war into a broader conversation about European security, a tactic that has drawn criticism from Kyiv and European leaders. They stress that the talks must center on halting the war first, rather than exploring additional agreements like the Yalta deal, which divided Europe into spheres of influence after World War II.

The Kremlin broadcast a lengthy opening exchange between Putin and the US envoys, during which Putin firmly rejected any notion of territorial settlements involving demilitarized zones. He stressed that the only acceptable demarcation line is the existing state border between Russia and Ukraine, underscoring that any such demarcation would clearly define where each nation stands.

Russia's territorial gains since the start of the conflict in 2022 include parts of eastern and southern Ukraine, along with the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, and regions previously controlled by Russian-backed separatists. The annexations remain unrecognized by Ukraine and the international community. While Russia's advances have slowed over the past year, the conflict has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions of people.

Putin proposed a humanitarian mission aimed at Kostyantynivka, a frontline city where he claimed that around 400-500 civilians still reside. Although Russia declared the capture of the city in the summer, Ukraine maintains that hostilities continue. The concept of a humanitarian mission echoes Russia's earlier short-term truce with Kyiv, which facilitated the evacuation of individuals stranded in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky.

In addition to his stance on peacekeeping forces, Putin reiterated his opposition to any foreign military presence in Ukraine, warning that such deployment would be viewed as a legitimate target by Moscow and could lead to further escalation. Amid ongoing violence, Russian strikes recently hit a residential building in Kyiv, resulting in one casualty.

Nearby, a car bomb explosion claimed the life of a Russian soldier in Saint Petersburg, highlighting the persistent dangers faced by both sides. Reports also surfaced of renewed restrictions on Ukraine's Starshield satellite internet service, a vital communication tool for Ukraine's frontline forces.