Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed organizing a humanitarian mission in the Donetsk frontline city of Kostiantynivka and said territorial issues would be on the agenda as he opened Kremlin talks on Thursday with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Modeling the proposal on last month’s six day evacuation truce in Oleshky, Putin said roughly 400 to 500 civilians remain in Kostiantynivka and that Moscow would guarantee security for an operation coordinated by Russian and Ukrainian ombudsmen after five days of demining.
Putin claimed Russian forces control Kostiantynivka and added that Ukraine should guarantee security on its side “if it believes it controls the city.” Ukrainian military officials list the Kostiantynivka sector as an area of active fighting, where regional authorities estimated 760 to 830 civilians remained in the wider community this autumn. Putin also thanked US President Donald Trump for facilitating contacts between Moscow and Kyiv and said he wanted to hear the envoys’ assessment of this week’s trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi.