Putin Says Russia 'Ready To Start Negotiations Without Delay'; Demands More Land To End Ukraine War

Putin said Russia would end the war only if Kyiv agreed to drop its NATO ambitions. Such a deal appears a non-starter for Kyiv, which wants to join the military alliance. Russian President also demanded that Ukraine hand over the 4 provinces claimed by Moscow. Ukraine has demanded that Russia withdraw its troops from all of its territory. Putin: Proposal aimed at a 'final resolution' of conflict, rather than 'freezing it'. The Russian President stated Kremlin is 'ready to start negotiations without delay'. The Ukrainian President responded to Vladimir Putin’s terms for ending hostilities. Zelensky responded by drawing parallels to Adolf Hitler in the prelude to World War II. Putin’s remarks represented a rare occasion in which he clearly laid out his conditions. Russia doesn't fully control either of the four Ukrainian regions it annexed in 2022. In Zaporizhzhia, Russia doesn't control the region's namesake administrative capital. Moscow withdrew from Kherson's biggest city and capital of the same name in 2022. Putin's men pushing the frontline in Kharkiv away from Russian cities along the border.