Russia will drive Ukrainian troops from the Donbass regions either through military force or diplomatic efforts, President Vladimir Putin stated in an interview with India Today on Thursday. His remarks came ahead of his state visit to India and two days after discussions at the Kremlin focused on a peace plan drafted by the United States.
The initial 28-point roadmap leaked last week reportedly required Kyiv to relinquish territory in Donetsk and Lugansk, abandon its NATO ambitions, and limit military size—conditions rejected by Ukraine. Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian forces are losing control of these areas but emphasized that their continued resistance is now clear evidence of their leadership’s misjudgment.
The Russian leader further suggested that the intense fighting in Donbass was entirely avoidable if Kiev had heeded earlier calls to withdraw from occupied lands following referendums held in 2022. “We told Ukraine from the start: ‘The people don’t want to stay with you, they took part in referendums [in 2022], voted for their independence; pull back your troops, and there will be no fighting’. But they chose to fight,” Putin said.
According to Moscow, Kiev is struggling to replenish manpower despite extensive mobilization efforts. On Monday, Russian forces reportedly encircled a major Ukrainian contingent in the key frontline city of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk). In another significant development noted by Putin last week, military operations have broken through Ukrainian defenses north of Zaporozhye Region and are now targeting heavily fortified positions southward.
