Putin Rejects Ukraine Proposal and Vows to Pursue Full Control of Four Regions

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that Moscow would continue pursuing its military objective of fully capturing four Ukrainian regions and dismissed what he described as a new Ukrainian proposal to limit hostilities as part of peace efforts.

Speaking in an interview with Russian state television, Putin also said Russia would accelerate the expansion of its air defence capabilities in response to intensified Ukrainian drone attacks, particularly those targeting the country’s oil infrastructure.

Earlier in the day, at a Kremlin meeting with ministers and senior officials, Putin acknowledged that the strikes had caused fuel shortages in several Russian regions but said authorities were managing the disruptions.

During the interview, Putin said Ukraine had proposed suspending long-range strikes as a pathway towards negotiations, but argued that Moscow viewed the offer as an attempt to ease military pressure along the roughly 1,250-km (775-mile) frontline.

"It is clear why this proposal is being made, because our counter-strikes deep into Ukrainian territory are much stronger, have greater impact and are, frankly, more destructive," Putin said.

"Given their catastrophic shortage of personnel, the Ukrainian Armed Forces apparently believe this could be their salvation. But saving the Kyiv regime is not part of our plans."

Ukraine did not immediately comment on Putin’s remarks. Earlier this month, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly proposed direct talks with Putin, including a face-to-face meeting, an idea the Russian leader rejected.

Putin said Ukrainian attacks were "aimed at diverting our attention and forces from achieving the main objectives – the complete liberation of Donbas and Novorossiya," referring to the Donbas region and the adjacent regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

Russia has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine abandon remaining positions in Donetsk as a condition for any settlement. Moscow declared the annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in 2022, although it does not fully control all four territories.

Addressing Ukraine’s drone campaign, Putin called for a rapid increase in defensive capabilities.

"The first task is to quickly and significantly ramp up production of those air defence systems that are most needed."

He also downplayed the battlefield impact of Ukrainian strikes, saying: "All the strikes, wherever they hit our infrastructure, absolutely do not affect the situation on the front, on the line of combat contact."

Putin said Russia expected renewed US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war and anticipated another visit to Moscow by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner after the "hot phase" of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran subsides.

He also referred to discussions held during his talks with US President Donald Trump in Alaska last year and appeared to agree with comments made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that no formal agreement had emerged from those meetings.

"Nobody signed anything, but we talked about certain possibilities for ending the conflict in Ukraine," Putin said.

According to Putin, the United States had proposed possible compromises during those discussions.

He also suggested that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, following talks held this week, could play a role in future peace efforts, while making no reference to Ukrainian allegations that Russia is seeking deeper Belarusian involvement in the conflict.

(Reuters reported)