Putin Demands Ukrainian Withdrawal as Battlefield Tensions Escalate

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared on Thursday, November 27, that Moscow would halt its offensive in Ukraine if Kyiv retreats from territories that Russia claims as its own. However, he warned that if Ukrainian forces do not comply, Russia will take control by military means. The Russian army is currently engaged in a slow but relentless march through eastern Ukraine, facing tough resistance from outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian troops. In recent developments, Washington has intensified efforts to broker a resolution to the nearly four-year conflict, proposing a surprising plan aimed at achieving peace through forthcoming discussions with both Moscow and Kyiv. Putin stated during a visit to Kyrgyzstan, '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.' Currently, Russia occupies about one-fifth of Ukraine's territory, with the issue of these occupied lands posing a significant barrier to the peace process, as Kyiv has made it clear that it will never concede any territories. Reiterating his position, Putin claimed that Russian forces have encircled the Ukrainian army in the towns of Pokrovsk and Myrnograd, which are situated in the eastern Donetsk region—known to be the most fiercely contested area and a critical target for Russian military operations. He noted that Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov are 'completely surrounded,' using the Russian names for these cities. Furthermore, Putin mentioned that Russian advancements are also being made in Vovchansk and Siversk, while they are approaching Guliaipole, an important logistic hub. Putin asserted, 'The Russian offensive is practically impossible to hold back, so there is little that can be done about it.' In response, Ukraine has denied that Pokrovsk and Myrnograd are encircled, emphasizing that its forces continue to maintain their defensive positions along the front line. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the conflict has escalated into the worst armed struggle in Europe since World War II, resulting in hundreds of thousands of fatalities and displacing millions of people from their homes. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2