At a closed meeting with top Russian business leaders, President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow is prepared to launch an offensive on Odessa if Ukraine refuses to recognize Russia’s control over five occupied regions, according to sources cited by Kommersant.
Speaking to members of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), Putin outlined how Russia’s demands for a peace agreement have expanded over time.
Initially, he said, Moscow only required international recognition of Crimea. When that was ignored, the Donetsk and Luhansk “People’s Republics” were added to the list.
Now, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions are included as well—comprising five Ukrainian regions in total.
Putin reportedly told the RSPP members that “Moscow's demands may change again,” noting that Russia is continuing to advance and “the Ukrainian army does not have time to dig in.”
He added that Russia may also make claims on Odessa and other regions still under Kyiv’s control if peace talks do not yield results favorable to Moscow.
Putin Banks on Trump for a Deal
According to the report, Putin told the gathering he believes he can reach an understanding with U.S. President Donald Trump on Ukraine. Shortly after the private meeting, Putin left for the Kremlin, where he held a second official phone call this year with Trump.
The Kremlin’s readout of the call said Putin demanded that the U.S. halt all military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine as a “key condition” for beginning a peace process.
While he did not agree to a proposed 30-day ceasefire, Putin reportedly said Russia would refrain from striking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in the meantime.
Trump, in contrast, offered a slightly different account. He claimed that Putin did not raise the issue of military aid during the call. When asked why no agreement on a full ceasefire was reached, Trump responded that both sides are heavily armed and that “Russia currently has the advantage.”
“We want to end this,” Trump told reporters, offering no clear timeline or next steps.
Putin Still Pushing Offensive
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, responding to the latest developments, warned that Russia’s offensive efforts have not slowed despite the ongoing talks.
He pointed to active Russian operations in Zaporizhia, Kharkiv, and Sumy regions and reiterated that Putin’s calls to halt arms supplies to Ukraine are part of a broader strategy to weaken the country’s defense capabilities.
“This ultimatum was already voiced at the beginning of the war,” Zelenskyy noted. “It is aimed at reducing the size and strength of the Ukrainian army.”
Zelenskyy also criticized the idea of negotiating about Ukraine’s future without Kyiv at the table, reiterating his recent message:
“We are not a salad or a compote for this man, despite his appetites. We are an independent state.”
