Russia is not interested in compromise without Ukraine's capitulation – ISW
Photo: Vladimir Putin, Russian president (Getty Images)
The Kremlin is not interested in any compromise in the negotiation process unless it entails Ukraine's capitulation, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The report referenced a number of statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on August 1, which largely echoed the rhetoric of Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, voiced during their joint press conference the same day.
In his remarks, Lavrov blamed Ukraine for the lack of progress in negotiations and reaffirmed Moscow’s unwavering commitment to its traditional demands.
In particular, the minister claimed that the negotiation process between Ukraine and Russia on ending the war is underway, but that its pace is allegedly being held back by the Ukrainian side.
The foreign minister said Russia is expecting a concrete response from Kyiv regarding the initiative to create online working groups. He also claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy keeps changing his conditions for starting negotiations and agreeing to a ceasefire.
Lavrov stressed Russia’s commitment to its long-standing military goals in Ukraine and emphasized that any potential peace settlement must eliminate the root causes of the war.
Lack of interest in compromise
The Institute noted that Lavrov’s wording and rhetoric largely repeated statements made by Putin and Lukashenko on August 1 and were voiced on the same day.
According to analysts, this indicates a coordinated Kremlin line aimed at shaping a unified narrative among Russian officials regarding the negotiation process.
Experts from the Institute for the Study of War believe that these statements reflect the Kremlin’s official position on negotiation terms and Russia’s military objectives.
"ISW continues to assess that Russia is uninterested in compromising on its long-standing demands that amount to nothing short of Ukraine's capitulation and continues to promote inflammatory rhetoric designed to undermine US-European cohesion," the report stated.
Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia
The third round of negotiations on ending the war between Ukraine and Russia took place in Istanbul on July 23.
Following the talks, delegations acknowledged the need for a separate summit involving Presidents Zelenskyy, Trump, Erdoğan, and Putin to move toward concrete agreements on ending the war.
Recently, Putin expressed readiness for talks with Ukraine, but based on the conditions voiced in June 2024, which essentially amount to capitulation for Kyiv.
Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated that Putin is not ready for serious negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
