Russia wants more than Donbas: ISW exposes Kremlin's real demands in peace negotiations
Photo: Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
The Russian delegation during the talks in Abu Dhabi clearly and categorically reiterated Moscow’s unchanged demands for Ukraine’s complete surrender and territorial concessions extending far beyond Donbas, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Analysts emphasize that Vladimir Medinsky, head of Russia’s delegation at the talks in Abu Dhabi, made another cynical statement regarding the Kremlin’s territorial claims.
He brazenly stressed that Russia would allegedly seize “every inch of [Russia’s] land one way or another.”
Medinsky also repeated a statement made by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin back in June 2025: “wherever a Russian soldier has set foot belongs to Russia.”
ISW noted that Moscow is once again brazenly demonstrating that it considers occupied Ukrainian territories its own spoils.
Putin’s aide also said that Russia would not agree to any territorial swaps and would continue expanding its “security zone” in Ukraine. He was likely referring to areas in the northern parts of Sumy and Kharkiv regions, which the Russians describe as part of a “buffer zone.”
“ Medinsky’s statements demonstrate the Kremlin’s territorial ambitions beyond the five illegally annexed regions in Ukraine (Crimea and Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions) and unwillingness to engage in compromises or exchanges of territory to end the war,” the analysts stressed.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov similarly stated that Russia would continue following a “course” that aligns with the demands Putin outlined in his address to the Foreign Ministry back in June 2024.
At the time, the dictator demanded that Ukraine withdraw its troops from the entire territory of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, including areas that the Russian army has failed to capture.
Other conditions included the “demilitarization” and “denazification” of Ukraine, which would effectively entail replacing the current government with a pro-Russian one, as well as abandoning its bid to join NATO.
“Kremlin officials have frequently claimed that the Ukrainian withdrawal from all of Donetsk Oblast is a necessary but insufficient condition for a peace settlement, and Putin and other high-ranking Kremlin officials have often reiterated Russia’s commitment to Putin’s June 2024 demands,” ISW emphasized.
Talks in Abu Dhabi
According to sources, on the second day of the meeting in Abu Dhabi, the Russian delegation refused to discuss a ceasefire, territorial issues, energy, and security in the Black Sea.
The focus of the talks shifted to the future security architecture of Europe, while the war against Ukraine took a back seat.
Ukrainian delegation member David Arakhamia also acknowledged that the talks were tough because of the directives the Russians had arrived with. He also said discussions about the postwar future helped establish dialogue, and there is good momentum toward finding a solution before the beginning of next year.
For more details on the outcome of the talks in Abu Dhabi, read the RBC-Ukraine article.
