The Kremlin’s decision to send a low-level delegation to the upcoming round of peace talks in Istanbul on 2 June shows that Russia has no bona fide intention to make real progress on peace. This is stated in a new report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), as cited by Ukrinform.
According to ISW, the Russian delegation will remain the same as at the 15-16 May talks, which underscores the Kremlin’s unwillingness to change its position or seek compromises. Instead, analysts believe that Moscow is dragging out the negotiation process in order to continue its offensive operations in Ukraine and to obtain concessions from both Kyiv and the West.
The report mentions the statement of Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzi, who on 30 May openly declared Russia’s readiness to fight “as long as necessary”, and Ukraine must accept peace on Moscow’s terms or suffer defeat. Similar rhetoric, which denies the basics of diplomacy, is repeated by other key Kremlin figures such as Kirill Dmitriev, Sergey Lavrov and Maria Zakharova.
Russian representatives also reiterated the long-known theses about the “root causes” of the war: non-expansion of NATO and discrimination against the Russian-speaking population, which they use to justify their aggression.
The ISW warns that US attempts to make concessions, including statements about the possibility of discussing the future status of NATO enlargement (as mentioned by Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg), could give the Kremlin a veto over the fundamental principles of Euro-Atlantic security. This, according to analysts, not only undermines efforts for a just peace, but also strengthens Russia’s dominance in the post-war security architecture.
