Putin gives Kyiv ultimatum over Donbas: "You have two options"

 A fresh warning from Moscow has sharpened tensions around the long-contested Donbas region, with President Vladimir Putin signalling that Russian forces will seize the territory outright if Ukrainian troops refuse to retreat.

His comments appeared in an interview released Thursday by India Today, setting the tone ahead of his scheduled trip to New Delhi.

According to Reuters reporting, Putin framed the situation as an ultimatum. In excerpts aired on Russian state television from his interview with India Today, he said:

“Either we liberate these territories by force of arms, or Ukrainian troops leave these territories.”

CNN cites the same Russian state media Tass Agency for translating Putin’s quote as:

Power balance shifts

Ukrainian leaders maintain they will not concede any land taken by Russia since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, insisting that surrendering territory would reward aggression.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly underscored that stance, arguing Moscow has no legitimate claim to regions it has been unable to secure militarily.

Reuters notes that Russia currently holds about 19% of Ukraine, including Crimea and almost all of Luhansk.

Most of Donetsk is also under Russian control, though roughly 5,000 square kilometres remain in Ukrainian hands.

Disputed annexations

Moscow declared Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia part of Russia after 2022 referenda widely condemned by Kyiv and Western governments as illegitimate. Despite those claims, the regions are internationally recognised as Ukrainian.

Russia has told U.S. officials in ongoing discussions that any settlement must include full control of the entire Donbas, Reuters reported. Washington has not formally acknowledged those demands.