Putin Insists on Own Terms for Peace, Vows 2026 Donbas Capture

Russian President Vladimir Putin entered Saturday’s Kremlin negotiations with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner determined to capture additional Ukrainian territory, confident that Russian forces can seize the entirety of the Donbas by the end of 2026. “There is zero chance of reaching an agreement on the frontlin until Putin completes the capture of the rest of the Donetsk region,” a source close to the Kremlin told Reuters, noting that Putin’s confidence stems from optimistic battlefield reports submitted by his commanders.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Western military analysts, however, view such an objective as highly improbable given the protracted and grinding pace of Russian advances. Kyiv has repeatedly and categorically rejected territorial concessions, dismissing demands to surrender the Donbas as equivalent to capitulation. Bloomberg reported that the envoys’ latest visit yielded no indications of Moscow softening its core war objectives in Ukraine. Sources close to the Russian leadership indicated that Putin remains willing to end the war only on Russia’s terms, with the Kremlin hardening its demands amid a belief that it holds a decisive military advantage. The sequence and timing of the diplomatic initiative also provoked scrutiny among Western officials and analysts. EU Ambassador to the US Jovita Neliupšienė questioned the envoys’ decision to visit Moscow before holding consultations in Kyiv. Other Topics of Interest Ryazan Oil Refinery and Rostov Targeted in Drone Wave Drones struck Russia’s Ryazan Oil Refinery, sparking a blaze at the plant, and damaged residential buildings in Rostov-on-Don. “Diplomacy really works, and we should first of all try to talk to those who are our allies,” Neliupšienė said, emphasizing that Moscow has not abandoned its original war aims and that Europe’s primary priority remains arming Ukraine for self-defense. In contrast, Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, characterized the US mission as timely, warning that without active diplomatic mediation, the conflict risks rapid escalation as both sides continue to raise the stakes. Kremlin talks and Treasury involvement The assessments follow three hours and 10 minutes of formal discussions and a working dinner at the Kremlin on Saturday evening, Sept. 5. Following the meeting, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov claimed that the American delegation promised to factor Putin’s assessments of the conflict into their upcoming talks in Kyiv. Russian officials characterized the session as “meaningful,” “frank,” and conducted in an atmosphere of mutual trust, while noting that discussions also addressed potential large-scale US-Russian commercial projects. The wider US delegation included officials from the National Security Council (NSC), the State Department, and the Treasury. Gene Lange, the acting head of the sanctions division at the US Department of the Treasury, joined the mission to Moscow, participating in a preparatory meeting with Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special representative for economic cooperation. While Lange did not attend the direct session with Putin, his presence signaled that US sanctions policy featured in the bilateral dialogue, despite recent statements by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ruling out economic concessions without an end to the war. At the onset of the talks, Putin confirmed that Russian forces had paused aerial strikes on Kyiv starting at midnight on Sept. 5, but rejected Ukraine’s proposal for a wider three-day frontline ceasefire. Witkoff and Kushner are scheduled to arrive in Kyiv on Sunday, Sept. 6, to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who previously pledged that Ukrainian forces would refrain from striking Moscow through the end of Monday to facilitate the diplomatic mission. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.