Ready to guarantee in writing no Russian attack on Europe: Putin

President Vladimir Putin has declared that Russia is prepared to offer written assurances that it will not attack another European nation, dismissing as a “lie” and “complete nonsense” the mounting Western claims that Moscow harbours expansionist intentions, the Al Jazeera reported.

Speaking in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, where he attended a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) — the Russia-led military bloc comprising several former Soviet republics — Putin struck a tone of disdain and defiance. The suggestion that Moscow is poised to charge further into Europe was, he said, nothing short of “ridiculous.”

“The truth is, we never intended to do that,” he insisted. “But if they want to hear it from us, well, then we’ll document it. No question.”

His assurances, however, have been greeted with deep scepticism across European capitals. Leaders recall all too vividly that Putin issued similar denials in the weeks before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 — denials that history swiftly exposed as hollow.

Turning to the grinding war in Ukraine, Putin projected cautious optimism about a draft United States–backed peace proposal, calling it a potential “basis for future agreements.” Russia, he said, was ready for a “serious” discussion to end hostilities. Yet, in the same breath, he warned that Moscow remained prepared to fight on and seize additional Ukrainian territory if required.

One condition, Putin reiterated with steely clarity, remains non-negotiable: Ukrainian forces must fully withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk in the embattled Donbas region — including areas still outside Russian control.
“Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the territories they currently hold — then the fighting will stop. If they do not pull back, we will achieve this by military means,” he declared.

Kyiv has rejected these terms, arguing that any such withdrawal would effectively open a direct path for Russia to advance on the capital, , the Al Jazeera reported.

Putin claimed to be open to a negotiated settlement, yet simultaneously cast doubt on the possibility by once again branding President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government “illegitimate.” He asserted — without basis — that Zelenskyy lost his mandate by not holding presidential elections in 2024, ignoring Ukraine’s long-standing position that elections cannot be conducted under martial law during an ongoing invasion. Ukraine’s parliament overwhelmingly affirmed Zelenskyy’s legitimacy earlier this year.

“Broadly speaking, of course, we ultimately want to reach an agreement with Ukraine,” Putin said. “But right now, this is practically impossible.” He argued that any future deal must be endorsed by the international community — and that this same community must accept Russia’s territorial gains.

Ukraine’s leadership remains resolute. Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, was unequivocal on Thursday: “As long as Zelenskyy is president, no one should count on us giving up territory.”

The diplomatic landscape has been shifting rapidly. Last week, Washington unveiled a 28-point peace framework widely perceived as extraordinarily favourable to Moscow, asking Kyiv to surrender territory and abandon its NATO aspirations. Ukrainian officials later revealed that the plan has since been amended with their input — removing, among other provisions, a 600,000-troop cap on Ukraine’s army and a sweeping war-crimes amnesty.

Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian delegates will soon meet US officials to refine the formula hammered out during earlier talks in Geneva — a formula aimed at securing peace along with meaningful security guarantees for Kyiv. Further discussions, he said, are expected next week.

Meanwhile, US representatives — including Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff — are due to travel to Moscow in the coming days for continued talks on Ukraine’s future and on Europe’s broader security architecture.