Putin says US-backed peace plan as framework is OK ‘in general’

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, expressed optimism about a draft United States-backed peace plan for Ukraine, saying it could form the basis for a “serious” discussion of a future agreement.

Putin acknowledged that the US had taken Russia’s position into account in the negotiations, but he said some issues still needed to be resolved while speaking to reporters on Thursday while on a state visit to Kyrgyzstan.

We generally concur that this could serve as the foundation for future agreements, he said of the draft plan.

The Russian leader also confirmed that Steve Witkoff, a special envoy to Russia, would soon travel to Moscow for further discussions, which he claimed should concentrate on the Donbas and Crimea, which are currently under Russian control.

A 28-point peace plan for Ukraine that was widely criticized as being too favorable for Russia was revealed last week by the US. It included demands for Kyiv to make significant territorial concessions and give up its membership in NATO. According to Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya, the plan has since been modified with Ukrainian input, with the removal of a 600, 000-member cap on the country’s army and a general war crimes amnesty.

However, the most recent proposal’s full details have not been made public.

In his most recent remarks, Putin claimed that there isn’t a final version of the plan.

Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated on Thursday that US and Ukrainian officials would continue to work on the plan.

Ukrainian troops must leave, according to the law.

Putin reaffirmed that despite his ostensible willingness to reach a deal, Russia would continue to fight the nearly four-year conflict, which has resulted in the deaths or injuries of hundreds of thousands on both sides.

The Ukrainian troops must leave their holding areas before fighting will end. We will use armed means to accomplish this if they don’t leave. Putin claimed that that is it, claiming that the Russian forces are moving more quickly through Ukraine.

The Russian leader added that the international community must accept any upcoming agreements that acknowledge Russia’s territorial gains in Ukraine. He also argued that the country’s current leadership is unlawful.

alleged Crimea bridge assailants are sentenced in Russia

Putin’s remarks come as a Russian court pronounces a verdict in a deadly 2022 truck bombing attack claimed by Ukraine’s secret services.

Eight men were given life sentences by the military court in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, for aiding in the bombing, which ripped through a bridge connecting southern Russia to the Russian-annexed Crimea and damaged a crucial supply route for Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

Putin personally inaugurated the bridge in 2018, which is seen by both Ukraine and Russia as a representation of Moscow’s 2014 occupation and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.