Rhetoric on Peace Talks

Putin remarked, “If the opposing side and its foreign sponsors refuse to engage in serious negotiations, Russia will reclaim its historical lands through military means.” Meanwhile, the U.S. government has been holding separate discussions with both Moscow and Kyiv, as well as European leaders, regarding proposals to end the warfare in Ukraine. However, no agreements have been finalized as of now.

Concerns of Kyiv and its Allies

Kyiv, along with its European allies, is apprehensive about Russia’s demands for territorial concessions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling for stronger security guarantees following Russia’s occupation, which has seen tens of thousands of Russian soldiers deployed in Ukraine since 2022. Russia claims to currently control about 19% of Ukrainian territory, which includes the Crimean Peninsula—annexed in 2014—as well as large parts of the Donbas region, and significant territories in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

While Russia insists that Crimea, Donbas, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia are now officially part of Russia, Zelensky firmly maintains that Ukraine will never accept this occupation. Most nations continue to recognize these regions as part of Ukrainian territory.

European Support for Kyiv

European leaders are united in their support for Kyiv, cautioning against rewarding Russia for its actions during the conflict. Over the years, Ukraine has been engaged in battles with Russia-backed separatists in the Donbas region. Putin criticized the previous U.S. administration under Joe Biden, claiming it sought to undermine Russia’s stability, and suggested European politicians shared similar goals. This assertion has been denied by European leaders.

“They believed they could destroy and dismantle Russia in no time,” Putin stated in front of senior military officials. He also denounced European politicians for spreading hysteria about a potential conflict with NATO, claiming there is no basis for such fears. “This is a lie, utter nonsense about an imaginary Russian threat to European nations. But it is being portrayed deliberately.”

Russian Military Strategy Moving Forward

Some European leaders have expressed skepticism regarding Russia’s genuine willingness to engage in peace talks. In a parallel statement, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov indicated that European powers are intent on thwarting efforts to conclude the war and are anticipating a conflict between Russia and NATO in the future. He remarked, “Such policies lay the groundwork for continued military operations into the next year, 2026,” according to reports by Reuters. Belousov outlined that one of the objectives for 2026 is to ramp up the pace of Russian offensives. He shared a slide indicating that Russia had spent 5.1% of its GDP on the war in 2025.