Kathrine Frich
The Kremlin claims it is waiting for fresh proposals from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
When global conflicts drag on for years, the world looks eagerly for any sign of a breakthrough. People often hope that a simple handshake in a closed room might finally stop the fighting. But international diplomacy rarely works like a movie script.
A finalized deal
A highly anticipated meeting between the leaders of the United States, Russia, and Ukraine will not happen just to chat. The Russian government recently made its strict conditions perfectly clear.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov shut down rumors of a casual negotiation summit.
According to RBK Ukraine cited by Digi24, Peskov explained that Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Volodymyr Zelensky would only sit down together if a completed document was already waiting for their signatures.
The spokesman noted that a three-way summit makes absolutely no sense without extensive prior preparation. The presidents would gather strictly to formalize a massive deal. They will not meet to debate the initial terms.
Completely blocked talks
Creating that final document will require a massive effort from everyone involved. Peskov warned that the deep disagreements between the nations cannot be solved with a quick or simple understanding.
Right now, the path forward looks incredibly grim. The last round of talks mediated by the United States took place in February, and the Kremlin says that effort has entirely stalled out.
“The issue of peace negotiations is now completely blocked,” Peskov said on Friday, according to Digi24. He added a blunt assessment. The Russian government currently sees absolutely no new ideas on the table.
Both sides previously admitted that a framework reached last year at a summit in Anchorage holds no value anymore.
Moscow is stalling. The Kremlin claims it is waiting for fresh proposals from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Waiting out the winter
The Russian government continues to demand that Ukrainian troops leave the entire Donbas region. Because Kiev rejects this demand, Peskov stated that the Russian military will maintain its aggressive push on the front lines.
He also confirmed that Putin has no current plans to speak directly with the American president. Meanwhile, Ukrainian leaders view the Kremlin’s rigid stance as a deeply cynical delay tactic.
Sergiy Kislytsya, a top official in the Ukrainian president’s office, argued that Putin does not actually want peace negotiations at all. Digi24 reported Kislytsya’s claim that the Russian leader relies on civilian terror and hopes the Ukrainian people will simply fail to survive the upcoming winter.
Sources: Digi24, RBK Ukraine
