Putin open to Trump-backed Ukraine peace deal amid Russian advances

President Vladimir Putin stated that Russian troops are advancing daily and have taken control of significant portions of Ukrainian territory. He indicated that proposals for peace, including those from U.S. President Donald Trump, could end the conflict if Ukraine agrees to compromise. Putin mentioned specific territorial gains, claiming full control of Luhansk and over 85% of Donetsk and 80% of Zaporizhzhia regions. He also acknowledged the need to improve air defenses against Ukrainian drones. Putin referenced prior discussions with Trump in Anchorage as a basis for potential peace terms, emphasizing that both sides must agree to compromises. Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy published an open letter proposing a meeting to end the war, warning of continued fighting otherwise. Putin also mentioned Russia had not yet used its Oreshnik hypersonic missile in combat but had test-fired it, noting its range and nuclear capability. Zelenskiy's open letter proposed direct engagement between the two countries as the only way to end the war, with the US reportedly focused on Iran. Putin also claimed that Russia's economy has grown more than three times faster than the EU's over the past three years, despite Western sanctions, and that Russian industrial production and real incomes have continued to grow. He stated that Ukraine faces a critical lack of manpower, losing about 40,000 people monthly, with an additional 20,000 deserting. Putin asserted that Ukraine lacks air defense systems and hypersonic and cruise missiles, unlike Russia.