Putin: We want permanent peace in Ukraine, we do not accept the presence of foreign forces in the country
Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on Thursday (November 12, 2026), thanked Donald Trump for facilitating contacts with the Ukrainian side.
Putin said that progress had been made on humanitarian issues, including the exchange of prisoners of war; he also appreciated Melania Trump’s role in addressing the humanitarian situation in the town of Olyushki in the Kherson region.
The Russian President emphasized that Moscow wants a permanent and stable peace, but the differences in views between the two sides on territorial issues and the creation of gray buffer zones could prevent a lasting agreement. He said that from Russia’s perspective, the official border of the countries should be the basis for determining the separation line.
Putin suggested that foreign journalists, including American journalists and representatives of Russian and Ukrainian human rights organizations, be invited to investigate the situation of civilians in the city of Konstantinovka in Donbas, as was the case with Olyushki.
He also said that Russia has always been ready to talk to European countries and considers the presence of foreign military forces on Ukrainian soil a threat to Russian security; Putin warned that Moscow would consider such forces a legitimate target and that this action could lead to a resumption of the war.
The Russian president called on the US government to discuss with its European allies their position on Ukraine and clarify whether their goal is to achieve peace or continue the war.
