Putin Insists on Liberation of Donbas and Novorossiya
Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that his country will remove Donbas and Novorossiya from Ukrainian control, using either military or non-military means. He warned that if the Ukrainian army does not withdraw from these regions, Russia will resort to force.
In an interview with the newspaper India Today, Putin emphasized that residents of these areas do not wish to live under the Ukrainian government. He said they have held referendums and voted in favor of separation. “If Ukrainian forces withdraw from these territories, we will take no military action. But if they choose to fight, we will respond accordingly,” he stated.
The Russian president said that Moscow has clearly expressed its position to Kyiv from the beginning, and noted with a sharper tone that Russia’s patience with the situation has run out.
In another part of the interview, Putin discussed the difficulty of reaching an agreement between the parties involved in the conflict but expressed hope that U.S. President Donald Trump would pursue a negotiated solution to end the Ukraine conflict.
He also referred to a five-hour meeting in Moscow with two of Trump’s envoys—Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff—describing it as “very important and constructive.” According to Putin, the discussions focused on proposals previously raised during Trump’s meeting with him in the U.S. state of Alaska.
Putin noted that nearly all major issues were discussed during this session, which accounted for its extended length. He added that some of the proposals made by the American envoys did not align with Moscow’s views, but those areas were also subject to debate and exchange of ideas.
