Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian President Vladimir Putin was dressed in military camouflage as he visited a command post in Russia’s Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, on March 12, 2025. Kremlin Press Office
Russian President Vladimir Putin donned a full military uniform for the first time since launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Wednesday, as potential peace talks loom.
Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment by email.
Why It Matters
Putin's decision to wear a military uniform on Wednesday appears aimed at reinforcing his image as a wartime leader and bolstering domestic morale ahead of potential peace talks to bring an end to the conflict, which is now in its fourth year.
What To Know
Putin was dressed in military camouflage as he visited a command post in Russia's western Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, on Wednesday evening. He suggested creating a "buffer zone" along the border.
Ukraine staged an incursion into Kursk in August, hoping to gain leverage in potential peace negotiations.
Putin visited the region for the first time since the cross-border raid, and ordered his military to push back Kyiv's forces from the region "in the shortest possible time," Russian state-run media reported.
Russian and North Korean troops-deployed to fight alongside Putin's forces-are reported taken back control of several villages in the Kursk region recently.
"I am counting on the fact that all the combat tasks facing our units will be fulfilled, and the territory of the Kursk region will soon be completely liberated from the enemy," Putin said.
"Of course, I would ask you to think about creating a buffer zone along the state border in the future," he added while visiting the command post.
Ukrainian troops will be "treated as terrorists, in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation," Putin said.
His decision to don full combat gear comes as President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff is traveling to Moscow this week to lay out a ceasefire proposal to the Kremlin, and discuss the terms of a peace deal.
What People Are Saying
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: "We urge the Russians to sign on to this plan. This is the closest we have been to peace in this war."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday: "The most important thing that we have to leave here with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things, like the Russians are going to have to do difficult things, to end this conflict or at least pause it in some way, shape or form.
"I think both sides need to come to an understanding that there's no military solution to this situation.
"The Russians can't conquer all of Ukraine, and obviously it'll be very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014."
Leon Hartwell, a senior fellow with the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) think tank, said in an emailed commentary to Newsweek: "Under current conditions, a ceasefire alone will not deliver lasting peace. Warring parties routinely sign ceasefire agreements with no intention of ending the conflict for good. Putin has shown time and again that Russia does not truly want peace with Ukraine, and history is littered with broken promises toward that country."
What Happens Next
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that he would agree to an immediate 30-day truce as a first step toward peace negotiations. It is unclear whether Putin will also consent to the terms.
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This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 6:03 AM.