Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
They allegedly reject both the European and the American proposal, because neither fullfills the Russian demands for the war.
A series of recent comments from senior Russian officials suggests Moscow is not preparing to soften its terms for ending the war in Ukraine.
Their remarks, reported in the latest analysis from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), indicate that the Kremlin continues to frame the conflict around long-standing political grievances rather than battlefield realities.
Alaska summit stance
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on November 22 that Moscow “cannot deviate” from the demands President Vladimir Putin laid out at the Alaska summit in August 2025, according to ISW.
He again insisted that Russia must address what he called the conflict’s “root causes,” which he described as NATO enlargement, Western military deployments in Eastern Europe, and alleged discrimination against Russian speakers and the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.
Ryabkov’s framing mirrors previous statements by Kremlin officials. He also argued that sanctions will not alter Russia’s calculations, a signal that Moscow intends to pursue its military campaign regardless of further economic pressure.
ISW noted that Putin’s posture at the Alaska meeting indicated no shift in his view of Ukraine’s sovereignty and no interest in substantial negotiations.
Peace plan pushback
Russian lawmakers have also rejected the US peace proposal, even though Russia is said to have played a big part in the drafting.
State Duma Defense Committee Deputy Chairperson Alexei Zhuravlev claimed the plan preserves a “threat on the Russian border,” a reference to Ukraine’s continued independence and its proximity to NATO states.
He urged treating the proposal only as an initial discussion point.
Zhuravlev also dismissed reported European conditions as “completely unacceptable for Russia.”
The question of demilitarization
Duma official Alexei Chepa argued that any transfer of long-range missiles to Ukraine would contradict Russia’s stated goal of “demilitarization,” which aims to leave Ukraine unable to defend itself.
Russian media amplified his remarks as a “warning” about why the initiative cannot be accepted, ISW reports.
Belarusian lawmaker and pro-Kremlin commentator Vadim Gigin told Russian state television that “mutual mistrust” between Washington and Moscow makes the plan unworkable.
Pro-war voices
Ultranationalist commentators aligned with the Kremlin echoed these rejections.
According to ISW, one prominent military blogger argued that the proposal would deny Russia the chance to seize additional territory and interpreted Putin’s recent remarks as confirmation that Moscow will fight as long as it can make gains.
Another blogger claimed Russia’s goals extend far beyond Donetsk and Luhansk and include territories it declared annexed in 2022. Some suggested Russia aims to push for a demilitarized zone reaching the Polish border.
ISW reported that Kremlin figures and affiliated bloggers have dismissed the US 28-point plan since it surfaced on November 20, underscoring Moscow’s insistence on maximalist terms.
Sources: Institute for the Study of War report for Nov. 23.
