Putin says Russia will take Donbas by force or Ukraine's troops will withdraw

President Vladimir Putin has warned again that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will seize it, rejecting any compromise over how to end the war in Ukraine.

"Either we liberate these territories by force, or Ukrainian troops will leave these territories," he told India Today. 

Moscow controls some 85% of Donbas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out ceding territory.

Putin's comments come after Donald Trump said his negotiators discussing a US peace plan believed Russia's leader "would like to end the war" after Tuesday's talks in Moscow.

Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, who was in Moscow, was due to meet Ukraine's team in Florida.

BBC  REPORT