Vladimir Putin has outlined three conditions that would lead to the withdrawal of his troops from Ukraine. As senior US and Ukrainian officials prepare for talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at ending the war, three years after Putin first deployed Russian forces on Ukrainian soil, President Volodymyr Zelensky has dispatched his chief of staff Andriy Yermak to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Yermak has stated that Ukraine is “ready to do everything to achieve peace”. However, it’s been claimed that Putin has set “made deliberately maximalist demands” ahead of the negotiations.
According to western security officials, there is no sign that Putin is willing to compromise on any of his objectives, and he is prepared to continue the conflict, sacrificing more Russian citizens, if he doesn’t get what he wants. Putin’s demands include Ukraine formally committing to neutrality, abandoning any ambition to join NATO, demilitarising, and recognising Russian claims to annexed territory, as reported by Bloomberg.
Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has already dismissed the idea of European peacekeepers being deployed to maintain control. If these reports are accurate, Putin may have deceived US leader President Trump into believing he desired peace, portraying Ukraine as the aggressor, during their meeting earlier this year.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed his desire to US President Donald Trump for a “positive outcome” from their discussions, hoping to reinstate military aid and intelligence-sharing following Trump’s halt of support to Ukraine amid his dispute with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Sir Keir stated his intentions when the two leaders spoke on Monday, reports The Mirror.
In Paris, military heads from potential participants in the proposed “coalition of the willing” are set to convene, with French sources suggesting nearly 30 nations may be involved. UK’s Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, will represent Britain ahead of Defence Secretary John Healey’s meeting with his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy, and Poland on Wednesday.
Before this, Sir Keir is scheduled for a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and will then lead an international call with allies part of the “coalition of the willing” on Saturday. During this call, he will engage with leaders prepared to contribute to or back a peacekeeping mission designed to prevent any future efforts by Russia’s Vladimir Putin to overtake Ukraine, contingent on reaching a deal to cease the ongoing conflict.
Defence ministers are set to convene with Nato and European Union representatives, with Ukraine’s Rustem Umerov joining via dial-in. The so-called “coalition of the willing” might not see every nation committing to a peacekeeping force, though there could be offers of logistical support for Ukrainian troops or other forms of assistance.
Ahead of the discussions, the Prime Minister emphasised the necessity for America, under President Trump, to act as a “backstop” security guarantor, ready to step in if a European-led mission faces danger. In the hours leading up to the meeting, Russia’s defence ministry announced the downing of 337 drones allegedly aimed at over 10 regions, including an attack on the capital city claimed as the most extensive drone strike of the conflict.
Governor Andrei Vorobyov of the Moscow region reported that the offensive resulted in one casualty and three injuries while also causing damage to seven apartment blocks in Ramensky, located in the south-eastern outskirts of the capital.