Russia vows to achieve military goals despite peace calls

- Russia will not capitulate to Ukraine, all the goals of the special military operation will be achieved, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. This was his response to calls for a "constructive approach" toward Ukraine.

Many reports provided by Russian media or government representatives are elements of propaganda. Such reports are part of the information war being waged by the Russian Federation.

- The current position of Western countries on Ukraine consists in ignoring the Russian position and expecting Russia's capitulation, but it will not happen, said Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to journalists.

- Everyone ignores what we're saying and continues to call on us to show a constructive approach. And in fact, in their understanding, that now means capitulation. There will be no such thing, all the goals of the special military operation will be achieved, there is no doubt about that, stated Lavrov.

The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the Russian side has presented its position "a thousand times," and Russian leader Vladimir Putin "has repeatedly said, responding to annoying appeals, that Zelensky has forbidden himself and all his employees to negotiate with Russia by his decree signed two years ago."

- Our president said: at least so that you Westerners have some arguments to reproach us for not wanting to negotiate, let him cancel publicly this very decree of his. Nothing is happening, added Lavrov.

Putin and Lavrov are trying hard to convince that Volodymyr Zelensky "ceased to be a legitimate president of the country as his office term expired and all previously concluded agreements with him should be regarded as null and void," just as the Supreme Council of Ukraine. The accusations against Zelensky were based on his failure to organize presidential elections, citing martial law and the expiration of his term.

Lavrov's statement thus confirms that Russia does not want to make peace and only wants to force Ukraine to capitulate and hand over its territories.

Putin said that Russia would end the war in Ukraine if Kyiv handed over four regions that Moscow claims rights to: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Large portions of these regions remain under Ukrainian control, so essentially, he is asking Ukraine to surrender the territory without a fight.

Putin also said that any peace agreement would require Ukraine to abandon its plans to join NATO, which prompted Kyiv to call the proposal "offensive to common sense."

Such statements from Moscow were already warned about at the beginning of the year.

At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has recently addressed the nation in a remarkably calm tone, indicating that he is ready for negotiations with Russia. This was the first time such words were spoken since Moscow began its full-scale invasion of the country more than two years ago.

Zelensky suggested that Moscow should send a delegation to the subsequent peace summit, which is set to take place in November. Russia wasn't invited to the previous peace conference held in Switzerland last month because Zelensky said that talks could only happen after Russia withdraws from Ukraine.