PUTIN doubles down on demands for Ukrainian territory ahead of talks with US

Friday, November 28, 2025 -Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated—and intensified—his stance that the war in Ukraine can end only if Donbas (comprising Donetsk Oblast and Luhansk Oblast) and other territories claimed by Moscow, including Crimea, are formally ceded by Kyiv. 

He told reporters during a visit abroad that Russian forces will only halt their offensive if Ukrainian troops withdraw from those areas. Otherwise, he warned, Russia will use force to secure them.

Putin said that a U.S.-backed peace plan could “form a basis for future agreements,” however he stressed that any agreement must enshrine Russia’s control over the occupied territories. 

He described the leadership in Kyiv as “illegitimate,” arguing that any settlement with Ukraine’s current government would lack binding legitimacy — a direct message ahead of planned talks between U.S. and Russian delegations.

The firm, maximalist demands signal that, despite diplomatic overtures, Moscow remains unwilling to compromise on its territorial ambitions. Observers say this makes a swift and fair peace deal unlikely, particularly because Kyiv and its allies have repeatedly rejected any agreement that involves ceding sovereign land.