AZE.US
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russian forces are advancing along the entire front line in Ukraine, while also presenting Moscow as ready for a peace deal if Kyiv accepts terms discussed with the United States.
AZE.US reports that Putin made the remarks during a meeting with senior international news agency executives in St. Petersburg on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
The Russian leader said there was no part of the front where Moscow’s forces were not carrying out offensive operations. His comments came as he repeated Russia’s position that battlefield realities and diplomacy are now closely linked.
Putin also said Russia was prepared for a settlement based on compromises he said had been discussed with U.S. President Donald Trump in Anchorage. He argued that Moscow was ready to accept those understandings, but said Ukraine would also have to agree.
According to Putin, the war could move toward a quick conclusion if Kyiv accepts those terms. He did not publicly spell out all of the conditions Moscow considers essential.
Putin said Russia’s goal of controlling the whole Donbas region does not contradict the possibility of a peace agreement. He claimed Russian forces fully control the Luhansk region and hold more than 85% of the Donetsk region and around 80% of the Zaporizhzhia region.
Those figures were presented by the Russian president and were not independently verified in the reports cited.
The remarks underline Moscow’s current message: Russia says it is open to diplomacy, but continues to link any settlement to territorial and military conditions on the ground.
Putin also repeated that Ukraine, in his view, must show readiness for compromise. He said Russia would continue the war and seek victory if diplomatic efforts fail.
The meeting also touched on Europe’s role. Putin said Russia was not opposed to Ukraine’s economic association with the European Union, but warned against what he described as the EU turning into a military bloc.
He was more skeptical about Europe acting as a neutral mediator, saying any mediator must be trusted by both sides.
Putin also said Russia would strengthen its air defense systems in response to Ukrainian drone attacks deep inside Russian territory. He acknowledged that some drones still penetrate Russian defenses and said the system would have to be improved.
The comments came after recent Ukrainian drone strikes targeted areas around St. Petersburg, including oil and naval infrastructure, ahead of the economic forum.
Putin’s remarks show that Moscow is trying to keep two messages alive at the same time: a public claim that peace is possible, and a warning that Russia intends to keep pressing militarily unless Ukraine accepts Moscow’s terms.
For Kyiv and its Western partners, that formula is unlikely to look like a genuine compromise. For Moscow, however, the message is clear: negotiations may be possible, but only against the backdrop of continued Russian pressure on the battlefield.
AZE.US