Putin downplays Trump's plan: "If Ukraine does not withdraw from Donbas, we will take it by force."

MoscowWhile Donald Trump is eager to quickly finalize a peace agreement in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has made it clear that he will need to be more patient. Ignoring the fact that the deadline initially set by the White House expires this Thursday To reach a compromise coinciding with Thanksgiving, the Russian president reiterated that he has no intention of relinquishing his maximum objectives and warned that control of all of Donbas, one of the most sensitive issues for Volodymyr Zelensky, is non-negotiable. "When Ukrainian troops withdraw from the territories they occupy, hostilities will cease. If they do not withdraw, we will achieve it by force of arms," said Putin, who added that international recognition of Russian sovereignty over these regions, as well as Crimea, is also "necessary." The Russian president continues to walk a tightrope, trying to make Trump see that he is open to dialogue while simultaneously making him understand that he feels so powerful on the battlefield that the only way to achieve a successful outcome is by forcing Ukraine to capitulate. If, in his eagerness to claim another success as a peacemaker, he helps accelerate this process, the Kremlin will explore the peaceful path; if not, without hesitation, it will continue to apply its relentless diplomacy, as summarized at an event last June: "Where a soldier sets his boot."

From Bishkek, where the CSTO summit—a military alliance led by Russia—is being held, Putin downplayed the famous 28-point US draft: "There is no peace plan, but rather a list of issues that have been proposed for discussion." According to the Kremlin leader, the United States is taking the Russian position into account, although he stressed that the conditions must be formulated "in diplomatic language" because some are worded "ridiculously." Putin confirmed that US negotiators will be in Moscow early next week to discuss these points, although it is unlikely to be a decisive meeting. The Russian side is still getting used to this new stage of the talks, is in no hurry, and will not rush things.

The Russian leader also came to the defense of Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, after the leak of a conversation with Russian presidential advisor Yuri UixakovIn which he instructed him on how to flatter the US president and sabotage Zelensky's visit to the White House to request Tomahawk missiles. "Spying on conversations is a crime, at least in Russia. There is no reason to accuse him of being too friendly with his Russian counterparts," the Russian leader pointed out, adding that Witkoff defends the position of his president and his country. For Moscow, Witkoff is a key figure, as he is very receptive to Russian positions, but precisely this closeness to the Kremlin puts him in a fragile position within the US administration.

In another sign that the agreement will not be a walk in the park, Putin has reiterated that Zelensky is not authorized to sign any treaty because his term has expired, a comment that had previously annoyed Trump. "Signing documents with Ukrainian leaders is pointless. They made a strategic error when they were afraid to participate in the presidential elections," he stated, ignoring the fact that people cannot be called to the polls in Ukraine because martial law is in effect.

"We never intended to attack Europe"

The only point in the draft that Putin has been willing to include, albeit reluctantly and with a touch of irony, is the commitment not to attack Europe in the future. He said that Russia never intended to do so, and asserted that this idea was "nonsense, a blatant lie" spread by some European leaders. However, he continued, "If they have frightened their citizens and want to feel that we have no aggressive plans regarding Europe"We are prepared to put it in writing, however you want."

However, he also took a swipe at the European Union and its plans to seize frozen Russian assets. "The Russian government, following my instructions, is developing a package of retaliatory measures in case this happens. It would be theft," he declared, after warning Brussels that this "would have negative consequences for the global financial system and confidence in the eurozone would plummet." From his point of view, everything had been going smoothly since the summit between presidents in Alaska in August. "I didn't understand what kind of signal this was," he lamented. Since then, the US leader had repeatedly stated that he was fed up with Putin's unwillingness to stop the fighting. But while Moscow tries to delay the moment of sitting down to negotiate as much as possible, Kyiv is taking advantage of the opportunity. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that Ukrainian and American delegations will meet this week to work on the document discussed in the Geneva talks. "Guarantees of peace and security," the leader stated in a video message, adding that he would personally participate in the talks.