This is reported by Kyiv24
The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, once again stated his intention to conclude the full-scale war initiated against Ukraine upon achieving the set goals. Speaking on December 9 at a meeting of the Human Rights Council, he emphasized that Russia would not abandon the so-called ‘special military operation’.
“We will certainly bring this matter to a logical conclusion, to the achievement of the goals of the special military operation.”
According to Putin, Russia is trying to resolve the conflict in Ukraine; however, he claims it is forced to act ‘by armed means’. Similar statements have been made by the Russian leader before. In particular, during a press conference in Bishkek on November 27, he asserted that hostilities would cease only when Ukrainian forces leave the ‘territories they occupy’. The question of the specific geography of these territories, namely whether it concerns only Donbas or other regions as well, remains open. Moscow has already included six Ukrainian regions in its constitution: Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, as well as Crimea and Sevastopol.
Negotiations Involving the USA and Positions of the Parties
Putin’s latest statement came against the backdrop of active diplomatic contacts mediated by the United States aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. On December 2, Putin met in Moscow with the special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, who was also joined by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. After the talks, Kremlin representatives announced the absence of a compromise on key points of the proposed U.S. peace plan. Putin himself confirmed that several points of the American document remained unacceptable for Moscow.
In an interview with Politico on December 9, Donald Trump stated that Russia currently occupies a ‘certainly’ stronger negotiating position than Ukraine. The former American president advised Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to a peace initiative developed in Washington, which involves significant territorial concessions from Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Position and the Content of the Peace Plan
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky articulated his position regarding possible compromises on December 8. He emphasized that Ukraine has neither the legal nor the moral right to cede its own territories, as stated in both the Constitution and international law. Zelensky stressed: “Certainly, Russia insists that we give up territories. We definitely do not want to give anything away – that is what we are fighting for.”
Since November, negotiations have been ongoing between the USA, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation regarding the peace plan proposed by the American side. According to media reports, the initial version of the draft envisaged transferring all of Donbas under the control of the Russian Federation, withdrawing Ukrainian troops from the territories they occupy in Donetsk region, as well as freezing hostilities in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions along the line of contact. The details of this document have not been officially disclosed.