Russian leader Vladimir Putin, on a visit to Kyrgyzstan, said on Thursday that any cessation of hostilities in Ukraine will only be possible if the forces of that country, defending their territory from the large-scale Russian aggression launched in February 2022, withdraw from the four regions that Moscow illegally annexed, even though it still does not fully control them to this day. Putin stated that this condition is necessary for the hostilities to cease. He also said that Russian forces are advancing on all sectors of the front. According to him, there is a large disparity between casualties and the number of soldiers Ukraine can send to the front line. In his speech, Putin also mentioned that in negotiations with the United States, he wants to address the recognition of Russian sovereignty over the Donbas and the Crimean Peninsula. He emphasized that international legal recognition, which Russia lacks, is important, as in that case, an attack on these territories would be considered "an aggression against the Russian Federation with all the corresponding response measures." Putin also stated that there are voices in the West calling to sign a peace agreement as soon as possible because they know that a "frontline collapse" could happen at any moment. He added: "(If) they don't leave, we will achieve this by military means." Earlier, Putin said that if Ukrainian troops withdraw from the territories they occupy, the fighting will stop.
