Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that Ukraine’s current government has no legitimacy, arguing that it is pointless for Moscow to sign any agreements with Kyiv’s leadership. Putin claimed the Ukrainian administration forfeited its authority by declining to hold elections after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s term expired—something Ukraine says is impossible under martial law while the country fights off Russia’s invasion.
Speaking at the close of a three-day visit to Kyrgyzstan, Putin described US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace outline not as a finished deal but as a collection of ideas open for negotiation. He said it could potentially form the foundation of future talks, though “every word matters” and many points still require serious discussion.
Putin reiterated that Russia would halt hostilities only if Ukrainian forces withdraw from all the territories Moscow claims—including parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions that are currently under Ukrainian control.
If Ukraine refuses, he warned, Russia will seek to seize those areas by force. He also insisted that Ukraine must be barred from joining NATO or hosting Western troops, conditions he views as essential for any long-term settlement.
The Russian leader’s remarks come as US special envoy Steve Witkoff prepares to visit Moscow next week, while US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll may travel to Kyiv. Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 continues to fuel Europe’s most devastating armed conflict since World War II.
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