Putin Calls Trump’s Ukraine Peace Plan a ‘Starting Point,’ Warns Ukraine to Withdraw or Face Force
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — November 28, 2025 — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine should be taken seriously as a basis for negotiations to end the nearly four-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Speaking at the conclusion of a three-day summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Kyrgyzstan, Putin described the plan as “a set of issues put forward for discussion” rather than a finalized agreement, emphasizing that “every word matters.”
Putin warned that Ukrainian forces must withdraw from territories they currently occupy for hostilities to cease. “If Ukrainian troops withdraw from the territories they occupy, hostilities will cease. If they don’t withdraw, we will achieve this by force,” he said, underscoring Russia’s position on the conflict.
The Russian leader’s comments come as U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff prepares to visit Moscow to discuss the peace proposal. Kremlin officials have so far been cautious in their response to the plan, which was introduced last week by Trump. Putin has previously been reluctant to accept earlier peace initiatives from Trump.
The situation has drawn varied reactions from U.S. lawmakers. Representative Andy Barr, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Fox News Digital that the current circumstances highlight the need for strong American leadership. Barr criticized President Joe Biden’s handling of the conflict and praised Trump’s approach, stating that “President Trump’s peace-through-strength leadership kept Putin fully contained” and that “this war never would have happened under his watch.”
Critics of Putin, including former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, have expressed skepticism about the possibility of peace under the Russian president. Kasparov told the Polish international news network TVP that “Peace under Putin is unachievable for one simple reason: Putin is war — and Russia is gearing up for even more.” Kasparov has also criticized NATO, Trump, and the European Union for not doing enough to defend Ukraine and remove Russian forces from Ukrainian territory.
As the conflict continues, the international community watches closely to see whether the peace plan will lead to substantive negotiations or if hostilities will persist. Putin’s insistence on Ukrainian withdrawal as a precondition for peace remains a significant obstacle to ending the war.
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