Putin Says Ukraine War Could End Quickly if Kyiv Accepts Compromises

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Russia is prepared to reach a peace agreement with Ukraine based on proposals discussed with US President Donald Trump in Anchorage, provided Kyiv agrees to certain compromises. His remarks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for a direct meeting with Putin and proposed a full ceasefire to pave the way for negotiations.

Speaking to heads of leading international news agencies, Putin said Moscow was willing to settle the conflict through peaceful means and had already accepted compromises discussed during his meeting with Trump. However, he stressed that Ukraine must also agree to those terms for the war to end.

At the same time, Putin asserted that Russian forces are gaining ground on the battlefield , claiming Moscow now has full control of the Luhansk region and controls large portions of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia. He argued that Kyiv would be better served by accepting a negotiated settlement rather than seeking to halt Russia's military advances.

In a parallel diplomatic move, Zelenskyy released an open letter proposing a face-to-face meeting with Putin and calling for a comprehensive ceasefire. The Kremlin confirmed receiving the letter, offering a rare sign of potential dialogue despite the ongoing conflict.

Putin also rejected the idea of the European Union serving as a mediator, arguing that many European governments have openly backed efforts to weaken Russia. He suggested the bloc could instead encourage compromise between the two sides.

The Russian leader further questioned Zelenskyy's legitimacy, while accusing Western nations of supplying increasingly sophisticated drones to Ukraine. He said Russia would continue strengthening its air-defence systems and signalled the possibility of broader use of the Oreshnik hypersonic missile system .

The developments underscore the starkly competing visions for peace held by Moscow and Kyiv. While both sides continue to express support for negotiations, disagreements over territory, security guarantees and political conditions remain major obstacles to an acceptable compromise. Previous rounds of talks in Geneva, Abu Dhabi and Istanbul have failed to produce a breakthrough.