Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Friday denied any responsibility for the tens of thousands of deaths in Ukraine, repeating his long-standing claim that Kyiv and the West are to blame.
Asked by NBC News about US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, Putin said he would not consider himself responsible for future casualties.
“We do not consider ourselves responsible for the loss of life, because we did not start this war. It was started after an unconstitutional armed coup in Ukraine,” he said, speaking at his annual call-in press conference.
Putin’s remarks came as the Trump administration pushes for a diplomatic deal to end the war, which Kyiv and Western allies fear would force Ukraine to cede territory to Moscow.
Putin said he values Trump’s peace efforts and had “practically agreed” with the proposals during a summit in Alaska, but noted they would require “difficult decisions.”
He repeated that Russia is ready to negotiate and end the war peacefully. “The ball is entirely on the side of our opponents, so to speak, and, above all, the leaders of the Kyiv regime and their European sponsors,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine said on Monday that it had made “progress” on future security guarantees following two days of talks in Berlin with US envoys.
However, President Volodymyr Zelensky said significant differences remain, particularly over territory. “There are still disagreements about what territories Ukraine would be expected to give up,” he said.
An initial US proposal – criticized by Ukraine and several allies as overly favorable to Moscow – would have required Ukraine to withdraw from the eastern Donetsk region, while the Trump White House would effectively recognize Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk as Russian.
The make-or-break moment reportedly comes this weekend in Miami, where the Trump team will try to broker a Ukraine deal – or acknowledge a year of stalled diplomacy.
Meetings will begin Saturday, Trump officials confirmed Thursday, as the White House seeks a breakthrough ahead of the war’s four-year mark.
Key meetings involve Kremlin-linked Kirill Dmitriev, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, with Ukrainian officials meeting separately.
It’s unclear if Secretary of State Marco Rubio will join. Trump will stay in Florida through the weekend, leaving his direct involvement uncertain.