Vladimir Putin has vowed that Russia will continue fighting “until the last Ukrainian dies”.
The Russian President claimed his military forces were “practically impossible to hold back” as he again demanded Ukraine give up its territory in a blistering speech.
“Some people demand to keep on fighting until the last Ukrainian dies… Russia is ready for that,” Mr Putin said.
He insisted Ukrainian forces must withdraw from territories they currently control – or Russia would take them by force.
Mr Putin, now 73, dismissed Ukraine’s Government as illegitimate and called signing agreements with them “senseless”, and suggested recent American peace proposals might only serve as the groundwork for future negotiations.
Speaking in Kyrgyzstan, the Russian leader said his forces had surrounded Ukrainian troops in Pokrovsk and Myrnograd in the Donetsk region, referring to the cities by their Russian names: “Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov”.
He claimed his men, of which more than one million have died in Ukraine, had made advances in Vovchansk, Siversk and towards Huliaipole’s logistics centre.
The Russian advance “is practically impossible to hold back, so there is little that can be done about it”, he said, adding that his military is “moving faster in all directions on the battlefield”.
‘Some people demand to keep on fighting until the last Ukrainian dies… Russia is ready for that,’ Mr Putin said
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Ukraine has rubbished his claims of encirclement claims – and says its forces are still defending their positions.
Mr Putin, elsewhere in his speech, claimed he had no plans to attack EU member states, though he noted that European security guarantees for Ukraine remain unresolved.
The “ripped-up” peace proposal sent to Moscow reportedly removed several contentious elements from an earlier 28-point document that emerged last week, which had included requirements for Ukraine to cede the Donbas and significantly reduce its armed forces.
American officials indicated the document originated from a Russian submission to the Trump administration in October.
PICTURED: A Ukrainian artillery unit on a combat mission in Pokrovsk on November 20. Mr Putin said his forces had surrounded Ukrainian troops in the city
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Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s special representative who conducted the negotiations, faces scheduled meetings in Moscow next week with Mr Putin, potentially accompanied by Jared Kushner, Mr Trump’s son-in-law.
Just days ago, it emerged that Mr Witkoff coached Russian officials on how to present their Ukraine peace proposal to the US President.
The Russian premier dismissed claims the envoy harboured any kind of pro-Moscow bias, labelling such suggestions “nonsense”.
Mr Trump has also sent Dan Driscoll, his army secretary, for discussions with Ukrainian negotiators.
PICTURED: Vladimir Putin welcomes President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff
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REUTERSFollowing Mr Putin’s statements in Kyrgyzstan, Volodymyr Zelensky announced that US and Ukrainian negotiators would “continue to build on the results achieved in Geneva” through discussions this week.
“It is crucial not to lose productivity and to work quickly,” the Ukrainian President said.
“Our key shared goal remains unchanged – achieving a lasting and dignified peace for Ukraine ASAP”.
Mr Zelensky has sought a direct meeting with Mr Trump to discuss critical issues including security guarantees and potential territorial exchanges, though the US President seems determined to allow his representatives to develop the proposal further before engaging directly with either party.
