Putin's unyielding stance stalls peace talks with Ukraine
According to reports from Bloomberg, Vladimir Putin is not willing to make concessions in negotiations to end military actions in Ukraine. He is also unwilling to compromise on issues related to the occupied territories, Ukraine's neutral status, or the presence of Western peacekeeping forces.
Putin made "maximalist" demands ahead of the talks to end the war, knowing full well they would be unacceptable to Ukrainians and Europeans, say Western security officials quoted by Bloomberg. According to these officials, the Russian president is prepared to continue fighting if his goals are unmet.
Western officials' assessment suggests that Putin sees no reason to change his hard stance. Meanwhile, Donald Trump continues to express a desire to end the war, but his administration only demands concessions from Kyiv, withholding military aid and intelligence sharing.
- I'm finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine - Trump stated.
At the same time, Moscow occasionally faces threats of new sanctions and tariffs, which hold little significance given the almost complete collapse of trade between Russia and the USA.
Bloomberg highlights the risk that Volodymyr Zelensky could be held responsible for the absence of an agreement and the ongoing military actions, which European countries would back.
The Kremlin - as always - denies
In response to these reports, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the assessment from Western services does not reflect reality. He emphasized that Ukraine should take steps to initiate negotiations.
- Russia is open to peace efforts, to a peaceful resolution regarding Ukraine, and we actually prefer to achieve our goals through peaceful and diplomatic means - said Peskov, adding: "If today or tomorrow it is shown that Ukraine is ready for negotiations, that will be a different story."
Talks between the USA and Ukraine delegations began on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. Before departing for Riyadh, Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that Ukraine would have to agree to territorial concessions to Russia as part of any peace agreement.
Rubio said both sides must recognize that there is no military solution to the conflict. He noted that Russia is unable to seize all of Ukraine, and Ukraine faces significant challenges in forcing Russian troops back to their pre-2014 positions. However, he also pointed out that Washington remains uncertain about Moscow's willingness to make concessions, stating that the extent of the gap between Kyiv and Moscow is unclear.
Putin wants to dictate terms
Previously, Putin demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian armed forces from the still-unoccupied parts of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions as a condition for starting peace talks. The Kremlin has repeatedly emphasized that it will not accept the presence of European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine after a peace agreement is reached.
According to Bloomberg sources close to the Russian authorities, Moscow is willing to discuss a temporary ceasefire only if it can determine the composition and conditions of the presence of peacekeeping forces. Moreover, before an agreement to end military actions can be reached, it is necessary to agree on the basic principles on which the final peace agreement will be based, according to those familiar with the situation.
