Putin says Russia will take Ukraine’s Donbas region by force

A peaceful end to the war in Ukraine remains uncertain. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he’s prepared to take the Donbas region by force, should Ukraine refuse to cede the territory.

It’s a statement that’s fundamentally at odds with Ukraine’s desired outcome, and highlights just how far apart both sides are from coming to a working agreement.

Ukrainian delegates are in Florida to meet with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, just two days after they held talks in Russia with Putin, but behind closed doors, this deal is shaky at best. A recent report on a leaked call between several EU and Nato officials paints another picture, one that casts doubt on Trump’s peace plan.