Putin Doubles Down on Demand for Ukrainian Territory. Says Russia will fight ‘until the last Ukrainian dies’
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to Russian journalists after the summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia is prepared to continue its assault on Ukraine “until the last Ukrainian dies,” demanding that Kyiv surrender territory if it wants an end to the conflict. Speaking in Kyrgyzstan, Putin claimed that Russian forces are advancing on all fronts and described it as “practically impossible to hold back” the Russian army. He dismissed Ukraine’s government as illegitimate and called signing any agreement with them “senseless,” though he suggested that the latest U.S.-brokered peace proposal could serve as a framework for future talks.
Putin reiterated Russia’s maximalist demands, including the surrender of the entire Donbas region, encompassing Luhansk and Donetsk. “Some people demand to keep on fighting until the last Ukrainian dies, Russia is ready for that,” he said. “If Ukrainian forces leave the territories they hold, then we will stop combat operations. If they don’t, then we will achieve it by military means.” He claimed Russian forces have encircled key Ukrainian cities and are making significant advances, though Ukraine disputes these battlefield assertions. Observers note that pressure from President Trump for Ukraine to accept a Russia-friendly peace deal may have encouraged Putin, who appears confident Ukraine’s defenses are weakening.
“Why compromise if you think you can win outright?” said policy analyst Dmitri Alperovitch, summarizing Putin’s apparent calculation. However, the Institute for the Study of War reports that current data suggest “a Russian military victory in Ukraine is not inevitable, and a rapid Russian seizure of the rest of Donetsk Oblast is not imminent.” The U.S.-based conflict monitor estimates it would take Russia about two years to seize the remainder of Donetsk. Russia currently occupies roughly one-fifth of Ukraine, and the status of these territories remains the main obstacle in peace talks. Ukraine has rejected proposals to cede land not already under Russian control.
Putin, dismissing concerns about potential future attacks on other European countries as “laughable,” said a U.S. delegation led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected in Moscow next week and that Russia is ready for “serious negotiation.” Asked whether Donbas and Crimea might remain under Russian control without formal recognition as part of Russia, he said, “This is the point of our discussion with our American counterparts.”
Following Putin’s remarks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had “scorned” efforts “to truly end the war.”
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