Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia's interest in the withdrawal of Ukrainian Armed Forces from the Donetsk region is 'close to zero,' according to a nexta_tv report posted over the past hour ending at 12:45 p.m. UTC on December 28, 2025. The remarks came one day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's scheduled talks with U.S. President Donald Trump. Putin, described as camouflage-clad in the report, had stated the day before that he is 'not interested in the pullout of Ukrainian military formations from the territories they currently hold,' nexta_tv reported. The comments were framed as an ultimatum, warning that Russia may walk away from negotiations if Ukrainian forces do not withdraw. Zelensky arrived in Florida earlier on December 28 for the rescheduled meeting with Trump at 20:00 Kyiv time, as reported by Ukraine’s deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya and NOELreports in a prior update. No official responses from Ukrainian or U.S. sources to Putin's statements were reported during this one-hour window from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. UTC.
