Putin Reaffirms Donbas Seizure by Force Amidst Stalled US Peace Talks & Ongoing Ukraine Attacks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has underscored his unwavering resolve to claim Ukraine's eastern Donbas region "by force," a declaration that casts a shadow over recent diplomatic discussions with United States envoys. Despite characterizing previous talks as "very useful," Putin's maximalist demands persist, revealing a deep chasm in the path toward a resolution to the conflict.

Diplomacy at a Crossroads

Ahead of a diplomatic visit to New Delhi, Putin communicated his intent to India Today TV, effectively confirming earlier Kremlin reports that a consensus had eluded negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during their Moscow talks. This strong stance directly contradicts earlier optimistic assessments from former US President Donald Trump, who suggested that the Russian leader was keen "to end the war."

The Kremlin's narrative gained traction with Trump's proposed 28-point peace plan, which initially suggested Ukraine cede the entire Donbas, restrict its military size, and abandon NATO aspirations. However, this proposal, widely criticized as a "Moscow wish list," saw significant revisions during subsequent Geneva talks, shrinking to 19 points under Ukrainian pressure. The exact version discussed in recent Moscow talks remains ambiguous, though Putin's aide Yury Ushakov indicated multiple documents were on the table. Putin, as paraphrased by Tass, confirmed the 28-point plan's continued relevance, albeit repackaged into four discussion bundles, stemming from an August summit in Alaska.

Ukrainian Stance and Ongoing Conflict

Ukraine's embattled President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains resolute, asserting his constitutional inability to cede Ukrainian territory, emphasizing that Russia should not be rewarded for its invasion. This position stands firm against Russia's repeated demand for full control over the Donbas and Washington's informal recognition of that control.

Meanwhile, the conflict on the ground rages on. Russian forces conducted further attacks across Ukraine, with a ballistic missile striking Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown, injuring six, including a three-year-old girl, and damaging over 40 residential buildings, a school, and gas pipes. Kherson, a southern port city, mourned the death of a six-year-old girl from artillery shelling, while drone attacks on Odesa injured eight and damaged critical infrastructure.

Amidst these assaults, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of sabotaging peace efforts through Black Sea oil tanker attacks and strikes on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal in Novorossiysk.

Territorial Realities

Currently, Russia maintains control over approximately 19.2 percent of Ukraine, including Crimea (annexed in 2014), all of Luhansk, over 80 percent of Donetsk, about 75 percent of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, and smaller portions of Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Ukrainian forces continue to defend the northern sector of Pokrovsk in Donetsk, with approximately 5,000 square kilometers of the region still under Ukrainian sovereignty.

Putin's latest remarks firmly cement Russia's uncompromising position on the Donbas, highlighting the immense challenges ahead for any genuine peace initiative and signaling a continuation of the protracted and devastating conflict.