Putin holds firm on four Ukrainian regions after US envoys' Moscow visit, ISW says

After meetings in Abu Dhabi and a Moscow visit by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on November 12, Vladimir Putin reaffirmed his original territorial demands on Ukraine and ultimatums to dismantle NATO and the post-Cold War European security architecture, according to the Institute for the Study of War. ISW analysts say Putin refuses to accept any proposed demilitarized zone in postwar Ukraine, insisting instead that Ukraine cede all of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, including areas not currently occupied by Russian forces. Putin stated the only clear "line of demarcation" is Russia's "state border," which he claims includes these four illegally annexed regions, and he wants to deploy Russian troops along that potential new border. The Kremlin also rejected Western security guarantees for Ukraine, calling foreign troop deployment "absolutely unacceptable," and reiterated its December 2021 ultimatum demanding NATO halt expansion and give Russia veto power over allied forces. ISW concludes Moscow is not interested in serious negotiations, as Putin's 2022 invasion aimed to subjugate Ukraine and destroy NATO's influence.