Russia is not interested in real peace negotiations and continues to demand Ukraine’s total capitulation, according to a new report by the United States-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The report, published as talks resume in Istanbul, outlines how the Russian dictatorship is repeating demands made during the early days of its full scale invasion in 2022, despite suffering heavy losses and military setbacks since then.
The ISW noted that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s choice to send aide Vladimir Medinsky to lead the Russian delegation signals Moscow’s refusal to negotiate in good faith. Medinsky has publicly described the May 2025 talks as a continuation of the failed Istanbul negotiations from 2022, during which Russia demanded Ukraine surrender significant territory and abandon its sovereignty.
Despite three years of war that have seen Ukraine reclaim large parts of the Kharkiv and Kherson regions and repel Russian troops from northern Ukraine, the Kremlin is clinging to its initial terms. The report emphasised that Russia’s battlefield situation has worsened, with high losses among elite troops and growing reliance on untrained conscripts.
Analysts say that the Kremlin’s media instructions ahead of the talks attempt to portray the current negotiations as occurring on worse terms for Ukraine. This narrative is designed to hide Ukraine’s battlefield gains and falsely present Russia as having the upper hand.
The Kremlin’s refusal to entertain genuine compromise contradicts the positions of Ukraine, the United States, and Europe, all of whom support a structured process that begins with a ceasefire before advancing to formal peace talks. Medinsky’s framing of the current dialogue is a deliberate attempt to bypass that structure and pressure Ukraine to accept unacceptable terms.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has declined to meet the Russian delegation due to its low ranking status, though he remains in Istanbul for discussions with Ukrainian and Turkish officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is willing to meet the Russian dictator directly if necessary, but has also warned that failure to engage seriously will lead to increased sanctions against the Kremlin.
The talks continue in Istanbul with delegations from Turkey, the United States, Ukraine and Russia, but with Moscow refusing to shift from its original 2022 demands, analysts say no real breakthrough is expected.
