Russia unveils new ultimatum to Ukraine beyond territorial concessions — ISW
Photo: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (Getty Images)
The Kremlin rejects any possibility of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine unless they meet all of Moscow’s demands, even in the event of territorial concessions, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Analysts note a statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made on March 16 at a joint press conference with Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi.
At the time, Lavrov stated that Russia refuses to end the war, even if Ukraine acknowledges the realities on the ground and fully transfers Donbas to Russia.
In addition, the Russian Minister referred to the possible deployment of European peacekeepers in territory controlled by Kyiv as an occupation.
The ISW notes that in this way, the Kremlin is effectively calling Ukraine’s sovereignty into question, attempting to impose a veto on any of Kyiv’s security decisions.
The report emphasizes that Moscow uses rhetoric about root causes to advance maximalist demands.
These include Ukraine’s refusal to join NATO, the establishment of neutral status, and so-called demilitarization and denazification, which entails replacing the current government with a pro-Russian one.
Experts note that the Kremlin shows no willingness to back down from these conditions, even within the framework of negotiations involving the US and Ukraine. This indicates that Moscow, as before, is banking on achieving its strategic goals by force rather than through compromise.
"The Kremlin has continued to publicly insist that it is unwilling to deviate from these demands even during trilateral negotiations with the United States and Ukraine," the ISW report states.
Negotiations suspended
The latest round of trilateral talks between representatives of Ukraine, Russia, and the US took place on February 17–18 in Geneva.
The next meeting, scheduled for March 5 in Abu Dhabi, was postponed following US and Israeli strikes on Iran. A new date and venue for the talks have not yet been determined.
According to the Financial Times, US-mediated peace talks to end the war in Ukraine are at risk of collapse as President Donald Trump is gradually losing interest in the negotiations, and the war with Iran is diverting Washington’s attention.
