Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a humanitarian operation to evacuate civilians from Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). He presented the initiative during talks in Moscow with US President Donald Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Putin said hundreds of civilians remain in Konstantinovka and that Russia is prepared to organize their evacuation. He suggested following the model of an earlier humanitarian mission in Alyoshki, Kherson Region.

According to the Russian leader, preparations would take approximately five days, during which Russian specialists would need to clear mines from areas near the city.

Putin proposed assigning responsibility for coordinating the operation to Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova and Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets.

The president maintained that Konstantinovka is under Russian military control and that Moscow is ready to guarantee the safety of the evacuation. He also remarked that if Ukraine considers the city to be under its control, Kyiv should take responsibility for securing the humanitarian mission.

Putin praised previous cooperation with Ukraine during the evacuation operation in Alyoshki. He also thanked US First Lady Melania Trump for her assistance in organizing that mission.

Beyond the humanitarian initiative, the Russian president discussed prospects for resolving the conflict in Ukraine with the American envoys. He stated that Moscow remains committed to achieving a lasting and sustainable peace and has never rejected dialogue with European countries. Putin blamed European governments for cutting off diplomatic contacts with Russia.

The Russian leader also reiterated Moscow’s opposition to the potential deployment of foreign military personnel in Ukraine. He stressed that Russia considers such a scenario unacceptable and warned that any foreign troops stationed on Ukrainian territory would be treated as legitimate military targets by Russian forces.

Addressing proposals reportedly being discussed in Kyiv to establish so-called gray zones, Putin said Moscow was aware of the initiative but had no intention of changing its position. He insisted that Russia recognizes only one line of demarcation with Ukraine: the state border.

Putin also expressed hope that Washington would help European governments clarify whether they intend to support a peaceful settlement or favor the continuation of hostilities.