Russia sees negotiations with Ukraine as impossible, will continue war

The Kremlin declared on Friday that peace negotiations with Ukraine are currently "impossible," signaling its intent to continue its military campaign in the neighboring country. Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia remains open to achieving its objectives through peaceful and political-diplomatic means, but that this is currently unfeasible due to Kyiv's "lack of willingness."

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Russia remains open to achieving its objectives through peaceful and political-diplomatic means (...) But in conditions where this is impossible due to the lack of willingness of the Kyiv regime, we are continuing the 'special military operation'.

Peskov's remarks were a response to international media reports suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin might have set aside plans to resume stalled negotiations. These reports linked a potential shift in strategy to ongoing Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, which have reportedly led to widespread fuel shortages and significant public dissatisfaction just over two months before legislative elections.

Despite these reports, Putin reportedly maintains his objective of militarily conquering all of the Donbas region, a goal that military experts deem still distant for Moscow. Peskov added that as Kyiv escalates the situation with long-range drone attacks, the Russian army will continue to expand its security perimeter in northern and eastern Ukraine. "We see that Kyiv is not in favor of the peace process right now," he emphasized.

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We see that Kyiv is not in favor of the peace process right now.

The Kremlin had previously dismissed claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They had suggested at a NATO summit that successful Ukrainian bombings of Russian rear areas could accelerate the end of the conflict. Peskov characterized this view as a "mistaken conclusion," arguing that escalation and military pressure do not foster a peaceful settlement.

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More likely, they are a bit confused in the White House that through escalation, through military pressure, a peaceful settlement can be facilitated. That is a mistaken conclusion.