Putin threatens new offensive in Donbas amid peace talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would take full control of Ukraine’s Donbas region by force if Ukrainian troops did not withdraw. Putin’s remarks, given in a Thursday interview with India Today Thursday, rejected any compromise regarding the region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously refused to cede the territory.

Russia is estimated to currently control more than 80% of Donbas. It has occupied parts of it going back to 2014, before its 2022 large-scale invasion of Ukraine. Fully controlling the region would give Russian forces a land bridge to their military and trading hub in Crimea.

Putin’s remarks come after nearly two weeks of negotiations over a U.S.-written 28-point plan for peace between Russia and Ukraine.

What else did Putin say? He spoke with India Today while on a state visit to India, saying that the war wasn’t about conquest, but rather about protecting Russia’s interests, people, and traditional values. He noted that Russia talked on Tuesday with the United States regarding the peace plan. He declined to discuss the specifics of what potential agreements were discussed. He also claimed that Russia didn’t start the war, but rather the West “egged Ukraine on.”

What’s the latest from the United States and Ukraine regarding the peace deal? United States President Trump said Tuesday's talks with Russia were going reasonably well, adding that he believed Putin would like to end the war. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that representatives from the country continued peace talks in the United States with the Trump administration. 

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report on Ukraine’s cooperation agreement with Ireland.