Putin's Stance on Ukraine: Understanding the Uncompromising Approach

Fri Oct 24 2025 11:55:01 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Exploring Vladimir Putin's unwavering position on Ukraine amidst ongoing conflict, international reactions, and the implications for future peace.

At a recent economic forum in Vladivostok, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned against foreign troops in Ukraine, asserting they would be 'legitimate targets for destruction.' The Kremlin’s confidence stems from perceived military success, diplomatic maneuvers, and a lack of stringent international pressure. While the president suggests openness to negotiations with Ukrainian President Zelensky, he insists on terms favorable to Russia, indicating a stark divide between Russian and Western goals for peace.

Sometimes it's not what's said that makes the biggest impression.

It's the reaction.

In the Russian Far East, Vladimir Putin delivered a warning to the West: don't even think about sending soldiers - and that includes peacekeepers - to Ukraine.

If some troops appear there, the Russian president said, especially now while the fighting's going on, we proceed from the premise that these will be legitimate targets for destruction.

Then the reaction.

The audience at the economic forum in Vladivostok burst into applause, with Russian officials and business leaders apparently welcoming the threat to destroy Western troops.

Observing the scene in the hall, I found the applause quite chilling.

This came just a day after Kyiv's allies, the so-called Coalition of the Willing, had pledged a post-war reassurance force for Ukraine.

The audience applauded again when the Kremlin leader suggested that he would be prepared to meet Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky - but only on home soil.

The best place for this is the Russian capital, in Hero City Moscow, said Putin.

Outside Russia, Putin's proposal has been dismissed as unserious, a complete non-starter. A case of political trolling.

But in many ways it encapsulates the Kremlin's current position on the war in Ukraine: Yes, we want peace, but only on our terms. You reject our terms? No peace then. This uncompromising stance is being fueled by a combination of factors.

First, by the Kremlin's belief that, in Ukraine, Russian forces have the initiative on the battlefield.

Second, by diplomatic success. In China, Putin has recently shaken hands with a string of world leaders, showcasing alliances with powerful nations like China, India, and North Korea.

Then there's America. Last month, US President Donald Trump invited Putin to Alaska for a summit meeting, which pro-Kremlin commentators hailed as evidence that Western efforts to isolate Russia over the war in Ukraine had failed.

In terms of peace, it's hard to see where and when these different highways will converge. Ukraine and Europe want to end fighting and ensure security, while Putin may envision a new global order favoring Russia.