Putin warns Russia will use force if Ukraine peace talks stall: 'If Kyiv does not want peace...'

Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Ukraine that Moscow will press ahead with its military campaign if peace talks do not move forward, saying Russia is prepared to meet its objectives through force.

“If Kyiv does not want peace, Russia will achieve all special military operation goals by military means,” Putin said, as quoted by Russian state news agency TASS.

The remarks followed Putin’s visit to a Russian armed forces command post, where he met Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and senior battlefield commanders. The statement was made only hours before a scheduled meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former US President Donald Trump in Florida.

According to TASS, Putin was briefed on developments across the frontlines, including progress in the Donbass and Zaporozhye regions. He also said efforts to establish a buffer zone along the Russia-Ukraine border were continuing. Russian officials informed him about the reported capture of Gulyaipole in Zaporozhye and Dimitrov in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).

TASS reported that both Putin and Gerasimov expressed the view that Ukraine’s leadership is in “no hurry” to pursue a negotiated settlement to the conflict, which has now entered its fourth year.

Putin’s comments came as President Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s position on territorial integrity. The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly said that land occupied by Russia during the war, along with the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), remain “red lines” for Kyiv.

Zelenskyy has stressed that decisions on such issues cannot be taken without public involvement, either through a referendum or legislative action. Writing on X while travelling to the United States ahead of his Florida meeting, he said Ukraine wants to minimise unresolved questions in any future peace deal but underscored that territory, the ZNPP and national sovereignty are extremely sensitive matters.

He added that securing strong and reliable security guarantees remains Ukraine’s top priority in any peace process.