Vladimir Putin may defy Donald Trump's peace and 'take all of Ukraine' within five years

Vladimir Putin could send his Russian forces back into Ukraine and take over the whole country, even if US President Donald Trump strikes a peace deal, it has been claimed.

February 24 marks the three-year anniversary of the Russian invasion, which saw Putin's troops roll into Ukraine and commence the year-long conflict.

Moscow's efforts to take the capital, Kyiv, ended in failure, with Ukrainian forces managing to push back the invading forces and relegate most of the fighting to the east of Ukraine.

Now, US President Trump is attempting to facilitate talks about a ceasefire and peace in Ukraine between Washington and Russia - with Kyiv not immediately invited to the negotiating table. This move has sparked controversy, as has his repeated criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Nicholas Drummond, a security and defence analyst, warns that a peace deal may only stop the war in the short term.

Asked if Russia could attack again within the next five years and take all of Ukraine, he said: "It's a very real possibility. Once he has rearmed, Putin won't make the same mistake.

"He will go all in to make sure it happens. But I would say that Ukraine will also be rearming at the same time. It also depends on whether Ukraine joins NATO.

"We could have the Euro-Atlantic Treat Organisation - NATO without America. We would happily let Ukraine into that. Stuff what Putin thinks.

"There are all these possibilities. But in terms of risk analysis, we don't want to trigger a nuclear exchange."

President Trump's plan for a peace deal reportedly involves Ukraine handing over control of £400bn's worth of natural resources over to Washington as repayment for military aid.

He also sparked international condemnation last week after he branded Mr Zelensky a "dictator" due to his inability to hold elections while Russian troops are still invading.

On the weekend ahead of the grim war anniversary, Mr Zelensky offered to resign to achieve peace or gain Ukraine access to NATO.

He also refused to sign the minerals deal that would see the US awarded much of Ukraine's natural resources.

He said: “I’m not signing something that 10 generations of Ukrainians are going to pay later."

Asked if he would step down to achieve peace, he added: “Yes, I am happy, if it is for the peace of Ukraine.

“If you need me to leave this chair, I am ready to do that; and I also can exchange it for NATO membership for Ukraine."