Moscow rejects peace summit with Ukraine
Should only talks be held with Russia to achieve peace? Now it seems that Ukraine is not averse to talks and is aiming for a peace summit soon, with Russian participation as well. Moscow's response came promptly and was clear.
Russia also will not participate in another peace summit with Ukraine. Deputies Foreign Minister Mikhail Galusin made this clear to the state Russian news agency RIA Novosti. "We are aware of the intentions of the Kiev regime and its western handlers to 'rehabilitate' the failed 'peace summit' at Burgenstock in Switzerland in mid-June of this year and to hold a similar event," he said, adding that "they are even thinking about inviting Russia."
According to Bloomberg News, Ukraine is aiming for a second peace summit before the US elections this year. At this meeting, Russia is expected to participate, having not been invited to the summit in mid-June in Switzerland. However, Moscow had signaled earlier that it would reject participation.
Apparently, Galusin also sees no sense in peace talks with Ukraine now. Kiev wants only "to impose the absolutely fixed and ultimate 'Zelenskyy Formula,'" he said. Other initiatives to resolve the "Ukraine crisis," as Galusin calls the conflict, should be ignored. "We accept no ultimatums and will not participate in such 'summit meetings.'"
The so-called formula of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky includes, among other things, the restoration of the territorial integrity of the country. This contradicts the solutions proposed by Moscow, which would lead to a diktat peace. According to the Kremlin, Kiev should withdraw all its troops from the regions annexed by Russia: Donbass, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine should also abandon its NATO membership.
ISW: Putin demands "surrender of Ukraine"
The Institute for the Study of War does not believe that Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin is genuinely interested in negotiations: So Putin is demanding "a surrender of Ukraine through 'demilitarization' and the transfer of significant territories that Russia currently does not occupy," the analysts of the US think tank recently reported. Putin also rejected a ceasefire in the conflict for two consecutive days.
The daily Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians also cast doubt on the notion of a sincere peace intent in Moscow. On Monday alone, more than 40 people were killed and over 100 were injured in Ukraine. A children's hospital in Kiev was also attacked and severely damaged.
For the hardliners in Moscow, peace in Ukraine is also not an option: So former President and current Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev hinted at Telegram that Russia would continue its war against Ukraine, even if Ukraine were to agree to Moscow's peace conditions. Concretely, Medvedev writes that even if the papers are signed and "the defeat is accepted" - for which he seems to be predicting a government change in Kiev - the "remaining radicals, after regrouping their forces, will come to power earlier or later." That would be the time for Russia "to finally crush the beast." As "radicals," the Russian leadership sees the hated pro-Western Zelensky regime and its supporters.
Moreover, Medvedev speaks in this context about bringing the remaining Ukrainian territories "back into the embrace of the Russian land." In other words: Russia must conquer and place all of Ukraine under Russian rule, not just the four already illegally annexed eastern regions.
- Despite Ukraine's efforts for a second peace summit with Russia, Vladimir Putin and his government have consistently rejected participation, expressing no interest in negotiations that would potentially require significant concessions.
- Volodymyr Zelensky's "Zelenskyy Formula," which includes the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, is viewed as an ultimatum by Moscow and is rejected by Foreign Minister Mikhail Galusin.
- War crimes allegations against Russia, such as the attack on a children's hospital in Kiev, cast doubt on the sincerity of Moscow's calls for peace talks and raise concerns about a genuine intent to end conflicts in Ukraine.
- For hardliners like former President Dmitry Medvedev, peace in Ukraine is not an option. Instead, he advocates for Russia to "finally crush the beast," referring to the pro-Western regime led by President Zelensky, and to bring all of Ukraine "back into the embrace of the Russian land."
