Putin "If Ukrainian forces withdraw, ceasefire... Ready to discuss U.S. peace plan"

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on the 27th (local time) that if Ukrainian forces withdraw, the fighting will stop, and that he is ready to seriously discuss U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan for the war in Ukraine.

According to TASS and RIA Novosti, President Putin held a press conference immediately after the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, and said, "Russia is ready to cooperate with the U.S. administration to seriously discuss the U.S. plan to resolve the situation in Ukraine and to consider all issues related to strategic stability."

He added, "If Ukrainian forces withdraw from their current positions, the fighting will stop," and "If they do not withdraw, we will achieve this by force."

Russia is demanding the five Ukrainian regions it has incorporated as Russian territory under its constitution. It recognizes the Crimea and the Donbas (Luhansk, Donetsk) region as 'de facto' Russian territory and insists on freezing Kherson and Zaporizhzhia based on the current front lines.

In particular, in the case of Donetsk Oblast, they are demanding that Ukrainian forces withdraw from about 20% of the territory that has not yet been occupied. They propose setting this area as a demilitarized buffer zone where Russian forces do not enter, although internationally the area is Russian territory. Instead, they say they will return some areas that Russia has partially occupied in Kharkiv, Sumy oblasts and others.

President Putin recalled the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which expires next February, and reiterated the need to discuss strategic stability with the United States.

President Putin said, "Russia is ready to discuss all agendas related to strategic stability with the United States," and "We will also raise the issue of preparations for nuclear testing in future consultations."

Regarding the U.S. imposing the first sanctions on Russian oil companies after the U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska last August, he expressed regret, saying, "It was unexpected and, frankly, I did not even understand what was happening."

Cha Eun-ji, Hankyung.com reporter chachacha@hankyung.com