Kremlin sets the stage to reject US peace plan, says ISW
Photo: Russian dictator Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russian officials and media continue to set the informational conditions for rejecting the US peace plan. This indicates that the Kremlin is actively preparing Russians not to accept anything less than a full victory in Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Alexey Chepa stated that any plan must allegedly meet all of Russia's demands. He repeated the narrative used by Russian propaganda to justify aggression, claiming that Russia's goal is "any peace settlement to address the alleged 'root causes'" of the war in Ukraine.
Chepa also hinted that the US-proposed peace plan offers Russia more concessions than previous proposals, but it still falls short of satisfying Russia's maximalist demands, analysts at ISW noted.
Russian propagandist media and military bloggers emphasized similar narratives, particularly that Russia will only work with a peace plan that eliminates the "root causes of the war," implying that Russia is not interested in any peace negotiations until it achieves its battlefield objectives.
Russia's lack of interest in negotiations is further illustrated by a statement from State Duma Defense Committee member Andriy Kolesnik, who said that Russia does not intend to return occupied territories to Ukraine, even in areas that Russia does not fully control, including Zaporizhzhia region.
Kolesnik also repeated the false claim that Russia's victory in Ukraine is inevitable, stating that Ukraine "should submit to Russia's full demands now."
LDPR leader and Duma deputy Leonid Slutsky said that the peace plan is "a good basis" for settlement, but Russia’s advances in eastern Ukraine serve as "equally compelling arguments."
ISW analysts noted that this statement shows Russia does not intend to cease military operations on Ukrainian territory.
"Russian victory is not inevitable, however, and that Ukraine and the West can leverage several key Russian weaknesses to force the Kremlin to negotiate and make real concessions," the analysts emphasized.
US peace plan
As a reminder, American and Russian officials have developed a peace plan to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, consisting of 28 points.
The plan envisions ceding parts of Donbas to Russia in exchange for long-term security guarantees for Ukraine and the EU, reducing the Ukrainian army, renouncing long-range weaponry, among other conditions.
Additionally, Russians were likely involved in drafting the plan, as indicated by certain unusual phrases in the document. Western media suspected that some of them may have been originally written in Russian.
The US is pressuring Ukraine to accept the peace plan by November 27.
American officials have warned NATO allies that they will pressure President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sign a peace agreement with Russia in the coming days. Otherwise, Ukraine will face "significantly worse conditions."
However, the plan immediately faced strong criticism from Ukraine and Europe.
Next week, Zelenskyy will discuss the peace plan with US President Donald Trump.
Also today, senior officials from Ukraine and the US will begin consultations in Geneva regarding the plan. The Ukrainian delegation will be led by Andriy Yermak, Head of the President's Office. European representatives will also be present at the meeting.
Meanwhile, European leaders have developed their own proposals for a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine. They envisage restoring Kyiv's control over key strategic sites without restrictions for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
