Putin: Ukraine talks must tackle security for both sides and all of Europe

In a Russian TV interview one day after meeting U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, Putin confirmed Moscow can restart U.S.-brokered negotiations with Ukraine as soon as next month. He said the goal is lasting security for Russia and Ukraine after a final peace deal, not a brief pause in fighting. Putin said Witkoff wanted the talks to also cover Europe's broader security architecture, and Putin agreed to watch how things develop.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, after meeting Witkoff in Norway on Tuesday, signaled Kyiv could sit down for negotiations by early next month. He said Ukraine would back proposals for stopping the fighting, including an energy ceasefire and humanitarian efforts.

Territory remains the toughest knot. Moscow wants Ukraine to give up the whole Donbas region in the east; Kyiv refuses to surrender land it still holds. Putin described the area as “historically Russian land” and pointed to referendums staged seven months after Moscow's invasion, where residents voted to join Russia.

The U.S.-led push for negotiations stalled in February when the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran erupted, according to Hindustan Times. Putin repeated the Kremlin's line that Russia never sought war and instead encountered hostile Ukrainian reactions on issues Moscow cared about. He said broader talks might produce a positive result, but Russia still wants an end to the conflict, not a fleeting ceasefire.