Putin: Ukraine war will end if Kyiv accepts compromises under Anchorage agreements

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said the conflict in Ukraine could end “quickly” if Kyiv agrees to compromises based on understandings reached during his discussions with US President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, while signalling that Moscow remains open to a negotiated settlement.

Speaking during an interaction with heads of leading global news agencies, including PTI, Putin said Russia was prepared for compromises but insisted that Ukraine must also be willing to make concessions.

“The Ukrainian side also must agree to these compromises,” Putin said. “The conflict will quickly come to an end.”

At the same time, the Russian leader rejected suggestions that European Union countries could serve as neutral mediators in future peace talks, accusing them of openly siding with Kyiv throughout the war.

“How can Russia trust people who have been harping about the need to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia for years?” he asked.

Instead, Putin argued that European nations could play a constructive role by encouraging Ukraine to seek a negotiated settlement rather than continuing military support.

He also renewed Moscow’s challenge to the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, claiming that his presidential mandate had expired and questioning whether fresh elections would be held.

“Will they hold elections or not? We should ask these questions,” Putin said.

On the military front, Putin accused Western countries of supplying Ukraine with increasingly advanced drones, some of which he said were capable of penetrating Russian territory. In response, he pledged to further strengthen Russia’s air-defence network.

“As regards our new systems, we are adding them. It concerns Oreshnik, too,” he said, referring to Russia’s newest missile systems.

Putin also offered a rare comment on the deployment of the Oreshnik missile, saying a recent strike was conducted in an area where Russian forces could easily assess the impact.

“I will tell you a big military state secret. We simply struck where it was convenient to see the results,” he said.

The Russian president added that Moscow retains the capability to use the missile more broadly against a range of targets, including those located in urban areas, underscoring Russia’s readiness to escalate military pressure even as it publicly signals openness to negotiations.

With IANS inputs