‘When the Ukrainian troops leave the territories they occupy, then the hostilities will cease,’ declared Vladimir Putin during his state visit to Kyrgyzstan yesterday. ‘If they do not leave, we will achieve it militarily.’ The Russian President did not specify which territories he expects Ukraine to abandon. Did he mean only the Donetsk region? Did he also mean Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which Moscow has annexed in its constitution? Or did he, perhaps, mean the whole of Ukraine?

Putin’s speech didn’t suggest he was willing to compromise. He again repeated his claim that signing any documents with Ukraine was ‘pointless’ as President Zelensky has ‘lost his legitimacy’

It’s futile to look for truth in Putin’s public statements. But his replies to pre-approved questions make one thing clear: Russia’s demands haven’t softened since the start of the invasion in 2022. Nor has Putin’s desire to get rid of Volodymyr Zelensky, whose statesmanship during the........

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