British coverage of the president's words on Ukraine was misleading and harmful, the diplomats have said

The Russian embassy in the UK has accused British media of misrepresenting President Vladimir Putin's comments on the Ukraine conflict.

The diplomats have pointed to coverage by certain outlets, including The Daily Telegraph, which it said allowed "serious distortions" of Putin's remarks during his recent visit to Kyrgyzstan.

"His words were effectively doctored to align with the UK's official narrative," the statement on the embassy's official website said Thursday.

"In particular, he was alleged to have said that it was Russia that intended to fight until the last Ukrainian dies."

"The actual context is entirely different," the embassy continued, quoting Putin's remarks word for word:

"...And then there are others, those who still continue to believe that Kupyansk is somehow back under Ukrainian control and who insist on continuing the fighting until the last Ukrainian is killed. <...> The ones attacking Mr. Witkoff [US special envoy Steve Witkoff] are precisely those who align with this second point of view, those who want to join the Ukrainian establishment in siphoning off money while prolonging hostilities until the last Ukrainian dies. But I have already said publicly: in fact, we are prepared for this."

"Such distortions... only add fuel to the fire and play into the hands of those in the West who... wish to fight until the last Ukrainian," the diplomatic mission warned.

Witkoff is expected in Moscow next week to discuss a peace plan drafted by Washington. While not officially released, the plan reportedly calls for Ukraine to withdraw from parts of Russian Donbass still under its control, reduce its armed forces and stay out of NATO.

Ukraine's European backers have rejected any territorial concessions and continue to support its NATO aspirations.

Russian troops have captured over two dozen settlements in two weeks, including Kupyansk, a key logistics hub in Kharkov Region. Ukraine insists the city remains under its control.