In a weighty statement with clear political and military significance, the Russian president Vladimir Putin made it clear, on the eve of the meeting of the American president, Donald Trump, with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, in the United States (on 28/12/2025), that under the current conditions on the front, the Russian Federation has no substantive interest whatsoever in the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territories they continue to control.
This statement, made during his visit to a command post of the unified group of Russian troops and broadcast by Russian agencies, is interpreted as a message of confidence as well as a warning to Kyiv and its Western supporters.
Putin’s statement carries the form of a strong message ahead of the meeting of the American president Donald Trump with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the United States today, Sunday 28/12/2025.
Putin shows up wearing a military uniform again. pic.twitter.com/uiw9PYzmjt
— Clash Report (@clashreport) December 27, 2025
Zero interest in the withdrawal of Ukrainians from Donetsk
“Judging by your reports and by the pace we are seeing on the line of contact, our interest in the withdrawal of Ukrainian formations from the territories they occupy is in fact zero,” Putin stated characteristically on Saturday 27/12.
This phrase encapsulates Moscow’s position that developments on the battlefield render any concessions or “goodwill gestures” unnecessary, at a time when the initiative of movements is clearly in the hands of the Russian armed forces.
These statements come at a time when even official Ukrainian sources acknowledge the difficult situation on the front.
On a political level, Putin reiterated during the meeting that Moscow does not perceive any genuine willingness from Kyiv to end the conflict through peaceful means.
He warned that, if such willingness does not emerge, Russia will continue until the achievement of all the objectives of the “special military operation” by military means.
On 23 December, the General Staff of the Ukrainian forces announced that the Ukrainian army withdrew from Siversk, indirectly admitting that Russian forces possess a tangible advantage in manpower and equipment and continue active offensive operations.
This development is considered pivotal, as Siversk held strategic importance for Ukraine’s defense in the region.
Rapid developments on the Ukrainian front with the capture of Mirnograd - Gulyaipol
The capture of the city of Dimitrov (Ukrainian name Mirnograd) in the Donetsk People’s Republic constitutes, according to Vladimir Putin, a critical step toward the full “liberation” of the entire region.
The Russian president emphasized that this development decisively strengthens the strategic position of Russian forces in the Donbass.
At the same time, Putin also referred to the liberation of Hulyaipole in Zaporizhia, noting that favorable conditions are now being created for further advance of Russian troops in that direction.
According to him, recent successes are shaping a new operational framework, with increased capabilities of control and pressure on the front.
Earlier, on 27 December, the Russian president had been officially informed of the capture not only of Mirnograd and Hulyaipole but also of Stepnogorsk in Zaporizhia, as well as the settlements of Artemovka and Rodinskoye in the DPR Donetsk.
These developments are presented by the Russian side as a sequence of military successes that strengthen the overall momentum of the operation.
On both political and military levels, Putin’s statements seek to underscore that the recent captures are not isolated events, but part of a broader plan that alters the balance and opens the way for further developments on the Ukrainian front.
Russian hurricane in Kupyansk
Moreover, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the city of Kupyansk remains under the control of units of the 6th Guards Combined Arms Army of the “West” Headquarters.
Russian forces continue to repel repeated counterattacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), destroying the enemy and fully maintaining control of the city.
Over the last two days, in the area of Kupyansk, five attacks by Ukrainian forces near the settlements of Blagodatovka, Prokopovka, Osinovo, Boldyrevka and Monacinovka have been repelled.
According to Moscow, the clash resulted in the destruction of five units of equipment, including two American-made armored vehicles M113 and one Panther, while more than 20 Ukrainian soldiers were neutralized.
Russian forces stressed that the loss of territory is not permitted.
Commanders of Russian units describe the continuous “clearing” of the city from scattered enemy groups in buildings and basements.
The commander of the 1843rd motorized rifle battalion, with the call sign “Typhoon”, stated in a post on Telegram that Russian forces continue to destroy small groups of the enemy hiding in basements.
At the same time, commanders of the 1486th battalion and other units confirmed the successful execution of operations at key points of the city, such as the dairy plant and the center of Kupyansk.
Ukrainian forces attempted three times a day to enter the city, according to the Ministry of Defense, with the participation of the 92nd Assault Brigade and the 15th Brigade of the National Guard.
These attempts led to heavy losses for Ukraine: 60 soldiers, two foreign armored vehicles and two trucks were destroyed.
At the same time, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Alexander Syrsky, redirected the main reserves toward Kupyansk, a fact which according to military analysts causes severe depletion of personnel and equipment, forcing the use of drones in a supporting role.
The strategic value of Kupyansk is not limited solely to current tactical control.
Time and front dynamics favor Russia
At the same time, a few days earlier, on 18 December, the chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, announced that 18 settlements in the Sumy region came under Russian control.
As he noted, following the liberation of the Kursk region from the presence of Ukrainian forces, the Russian army proceeded to create a security zone in the border areas of the Ukrainian regions of Sumy and Kharkiv.
This strategy is presented by Moscow as a defensive measure, but at the same time it increases pressure on Kyiv.
It is no coincidence that Western media also acknowledge the impact of these developments.
The New York Times reported that the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Siversk worsened Kyiv’s negotiating position.
In simple terms, the more the front shifts to the detriment of Kyiv, the more the margins shrink for it to impose terms or “red lines” in any future negotiation.
Putin’s stance, therefore, concerns not only the present of military operations, but also the future of the political process.
The message is that Russia does not intend to negotiate from a position of pressure or weakness.
On the contrary, it presents the current phase as a moment in which time and momentum are working in its favor.
Within this framework, the statement of “zero interest” in the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces functions as a direct challenge to the Western strategy, which for months was based on the assumption that Russia would be forced into compromises.
Moscow seeks to demonstrate that, as long as it maintains the initiative on the battlefield, the terms of the game are determined exclusively by itself.
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