Putin Reaffirms Territorial Claims on Ukraine in US Talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed his territorial claims on Ukraine during a meeting with US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow, insisting the only acceptable border is Russia's official state boundary, which includes annexed Ukrainian territories. Putin's stance encompasses Crimea, annexed in 2014, and the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, declared Russian territory in 2022, though partially under Ukrainian military control. He proposed a humanitarian evacuation operation for the Donbas city Kostjantyniwka, while Ukraine categorically rejects any territorial concessions. Putin said Russia has never opposed European participation in peace talks, but demanded Europeans choose a negotiator and clarify whether they want war or peace. Witkoff and Kushner flew to Dublin to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the European Political Community summit.