BEIJING — Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed Tuesday to press ahead with the war in Ukraine if ongoing peace efforts fail, even as he claimed Russian forces were “advancing on all fronts, reported by Hurriyet Daily News.”
Speaking at the close of a four-day visit to China, Putin struck a cautious tone, saying he still saw “a certain light at the end of the tunnel” in negotiations backed by former U.S. President Donald Trump. “If common sense prevails, it is possible to agree on an acceptable option for ending the conflict,” Putin said, adding that Trump had shown “a sincere desire” to broker peace. But he warned, “If not, then we will have to achieve our goal by military means.”
The Kremlin leader said he was willing to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Moscow, though only if the meeting were “well prepared” in advance. Russian officials have previously insisted that lower-level delegations must lay the groundwork for any summit.
On the battlefield, Russia unleashed one of its heaviest barrages in recent weeks, firing more than 500 drones and two dozen missiles at Ukraine overnight, targeting power plants and other civilian infrastructure as another winter approaches. Ukraine’s air force reported at least five people injured.
Zelensky condemned the strikes as “demonstrative,” accusing Putin of flaunting impunity in the face of weak international pressure. “Only due to the lack of sufficient pressure, primarily on the war economy, does Russia continue this aggression,” he said on Telegram.
Diplomatic maneuvering is intensifying. In Beijing, Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — three leaders Washington says are sustaining Moscow’s war economy. Pyongyang has reportedly sent troops and ammunition, while China and India continue to buy Russian oil.
European leaders, meanwhile, warned of the global stakes. “Russia is not acting alone,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in Brussels, noting China supplies up to 80 percent of Russia’s dual-use imports. “This allows the killing to continue in Ukraine.”
Zelensky spent the weekend in Copenhagen and was en route to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron. NATO chief Mark Rutte said clarity was expected this week on what postwar security guarantees European nations — in coordination with Washington — can realistically provide.
