Putin rejects Ukraine proposal to halt long-range strikes, says Kyiv aims to save itself not make peace
In an interview aired Sunday on Russian state television, Putin said Ukraine had proposed a mutual suspension of deep strikes and dismissed it, calling Russian long-range strikes 'more destructive' and 'catastrophic' for Kyiv's depleted forces
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Summary
In a state television interview aired Sunday June 28, Vladimir Putin confirmed that Ukraine had proposed a mutual suspension of long-range missile and drone strikes as a preliminary confidence-building step, and rejected it outright. Putin said Russian long-range attacks are "much stronger" and "frankly more destructive" than Ukrainian strikes, and that a halt would only benefit Kyiv's "catastrophically" depleted manpower, not produce genuine peace. "Saving the Kyiv regime is not part of our plans," he said. The Kremlin separately confirmed Russia's position on ceasefire terms has not changed since 2024, requiring Ukrainian forces to withdraw from all four annexed oblasts.
Why it matters
The disclosure that Ukraine put a long-range-strike freeze on the table signals Kyiv is absorbing pressure from Western mediators seeking an off-ramp. Putin's public rejection closes that avenue, at least for now, and foreshadows a harder Russian line in any G7-brokered negotiation track.