An opinion piece published in Kiev Post argues that Russia has not offered a serious negotiating basis to end the war with Ukraine. The piece asserts that the main obstacle to peace is less about territorial disputes and more about Moscow's failure to lay out a clear framework for how the war would end.
The text emphasizes that the war has only two parties: Ukraine, defending against invasion, and Russia, continuing a war of aggression. Therefore, according to the piece, the search for a solution can only be shaped by the stances of these two sides.
Kremlin statements and the negotiation debate
The opinion piece highlights that recent statements by Kremlin officials do not amount to a detailed peace plan. It notes that Russia often merely says the "aims of the special military operation" will be achieved, without clearly describing how those aims would turn into peace.
The piece recalls that Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine's withdrawal from the remaining part of Donetsk would be a precondition for a ceasefire, not a peace agreement. It interprets this as Moscow obscuring rather than clarifying its demands.
US contacts and shifting rhetoric
The opinion piece also reports that certain mediation attempts from the US have yielded no results. It says that representatives of Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, returned empty-handed from their Moscow contacts, and that Tucker Carlson's interview with Vladimir Putin failed to produce a satisfactory answer on the cause of the war.
The piece argues that Russia promotes a rhetoric of so-called "root causes" to end the war, but this framework does not produce a modern solution. It contends that this approach creates ambiguity through historical and political justifications rather than offering a concrete peace plan.
The opinion piece also recalls how Russia's stance toward Ukraine has changed frequently over time. It lists inconsistencies ranging from saying there was no territorial dispute at one time, to claiming Crimea belongs to Russia, to saying Ukraine could make its own choice, and later punishing that choice.
The text points to statements in early 2022 that Russian troops were merely "on exercises" at the border as an example of Moscow's shifting messaging. For this reason, the piece concludes, Russia's declarations on war and peace should be approached with caution.
