Putin confident of victory, ready for compromise if Kyiv agrees

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed confidence in Russia's eventual victory in Ukraine, stating the country is prepared to fight until the end if necessary. Speaking on the sidelines of a Russian economic forum, Putin told foreign correspondents that while diplomatic resolution and compromises, potentially based on past discussions with former U.S. President Donald Trump, are possible, Kyiv must also agree to such terms.

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Russian Federation has taken full control of the Luhansk People's Republic. We have also brought more than 85 percent of the Donetsk People's Republic under our control.

Putin reiterated Russia's claim of full control over the Luhansk region and over 85% of the Donetsk region, territories annexed by Moscow in 2022, which Ukraine and most Western nations reject as illegal land seizures. He emphasized Russia's readiness for a peaceful resolution based on compromises previously discussed with Trump, suggesting the conflict would end quickly if Ukraine accepted them.

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We are certainly ready and willing to reach an agreement with Ukraine by peaceful means. Specifically, on the basis of compromises that we discussed during the meeting with President Trump in Anchorage. Russia agrees to these compromises, and the Ukrainian side must also accept them. Then the conflict will quickly come to a natural end.

The Russian leader asserted that his country's resources for waging war are growing, boasting of possessing weapons that Ukraine lacks. He acknowledged the need for better defenses against Ukrainian drones but maintained that time favors Russia and that Ukraine faces manpower shortages. Putin also highlighted the crucial role of patriotism and determination among the Russian people in achieving the goals of the "special military operation."

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There is another thing that is of the utmost importance: the patriotism and determination of the Russian people, which are key to achieving the goals and tasks of the special military operation.

In a candid moment, Putin revealed that Russia has not yet used its hypersonic Oreshnik missile in combat in Ukraine, describing its recent launch as a test to observe its performance rather than a combat deployment. He suggested the missile was targeted strategically to gather data for future decisions on its full-scale use, including against urban targets.

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The last launch of Oreshnik was the first real test, it was not combat use. We have not had real combat use of Oreshnik on Ukrainian territory in the full sense of the word yet. The last attack? Honestly, I will reveal a great military state secret to you – we simply aimed where it was appropriate to observe how this missile behaves.