Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated cautious approval of a United States-backed peace plan for Ukraine, describing it as a potential framework for future negotiations. Speaking during a state visit to Kyrgyzstan on November 27, 2025, Putin emphasized that while Russia is open to discussion, several key issues still need to be resolved before a formal agreement can be reached.

“In general, we agree that this can be the basis for future agreements,” Putin said, referring to the draft peace proposal.

Upcoming Talks and US Involvement

Putin confirmed that US special envoy Steve Witkoff will soon travel to Moscow for additional talks. Discussions are expected to focus primarily on Russia-controlled regions, including Donbas and Crimea, which have been central points of contention since the start of the war.

The current US-backed peace plan reportedly contains 28 points, initially viewed as heavily favoring Russia. Among its provisions were calls for Kyiv to make major territorial concessions and abandon NATO ambitions. However, Ukrainian officials have since revised aspects of the proposal, removing a 600,000-member cap on Ukraine’s army and a general war crimes amnesty, according to Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya.

Despite these modifications, full details of the latest version of the plan remain undisclosed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak stated that US and Ukrainian officials will continue refining the proposal.

Russia Demands Key Concessions

While Putin appeared open to a negotiated settlement, he reiterated that Russia is prepared to continue fighting if Ukraine refuses to surrender strategically important territories.

“Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the territories they hold, and then the fighting will cease. If they don’t leave, then we shall achieve this by armed means,” Putin said, asserting that Russian forces are advancing at a faster pace.

He added that any agreement must legitimize Russia’s territorial gains and be recognized by the international community, emphasizing that he does not consider Ukraine’s current leadership legitimate.

Context: Russia-Ukraine War and Crimean Bridge Attack

Putin’s remarks coincided with a Russian court sentencing eight men to life imprisonment for a 2022 truck bomb attack on the Crimean bridge, a key supply route linking southern Russia to annexed Crimea. The attack, which Moscow blamed on Ukraine’s secret services, destroyed part of the bridge—a symbol of Russia’s 2014 seizure of Crimea, personally inaugurated by Putin in 2018. The defendants were convicted of terrorism and arms trafficking, though they maintained their innocence.

Implications for Peace Negotiations

Putin’s conditional acceptance of the US-backed plan signals a potential opening for diplomacy, but it also underscores the high stakes in territorial disputes and ongoing military confrontations. Analysts suggest that any meaningful settlement will require significant concessions from Ukraine, robust guarantees for Russia’s claims, and the involvement of international mediators to oversee implementation.

As the war approaches its fourth year, the human and geopolitical costs continue to mount, with hundreds of thousands killed or wounded on both sides, and ongoing threats to regional stability across Eastern Europe.