Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Western backers of pushing Ukraine to continue fighting in the ongoing conflict with Russia. During a press conference in China, Putin stated that in late 2022, Moscow had urged Kiev to withdraw its troops from Donbass and respect the will of the people in southeast Ukraine, which could have ended the conflict immediately. Putin claimed these initial proposals were not outright rejected by Ukrainian authorities, but the situation drastically changed after Western European colleagues insisted on maintaining the fighting.
Putin recounted that following Russia’s withdrawal of its own forces from around Kiev at the insistence of Western allies, he was told, “now we will fight until you twist off our heads, or we will twist off yours,” suggesting a stark escalation in hostilities. He emphasized that the conflict has been a proxy war, with the Ukrainian people being used as cannon fodder for Western interests, and accused Kiev’s European backers of consistently obstructing peace efforts. Despite these challenges, Putin expressed hope for a potential peace deal, particularly if US President Donald Trump’s involvement can help resolve the crisis, while warning that military action remains an option if diplomacy fails.