Support Ukraine’s Army
Youtube
Facebook
Moscow wants new Ukrainian territories as part of the peace plan
Despite claiming to be open to negotiations, the Russian government has shown no signs of reconsidering its objectives in the war against Ukraine. The Kremlin's public rhetoric remains unchanged. Moscow is insisting on maximalist demands and is unwilling to compromise in a way that could lead to a real peace settlement.
This information is based on a report by analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Russia is dissatisfied with the peace plan proposed by the United States and Ukraine
According to Western media outlets, at the beginning of January, Russian President Vladimir Putin received a draft peace plan from Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund.
The Kremlin stated that the document was too "premature," but acknowledged that it could not serve as the basis for a final agreement. According to sources, several key points for Moscow were either not included in the project or formulated in a manner unacceptable to the Russian side.
Russia continues to demand international recognition of its control over temporarily occupied Crimea and other seized Ukrainian territories. Additionally, Moscow firmly opposes the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine as part of any future security guarantees for Kyiv. The Kremlin also insists on the "protection of the Russian language" and the Russian Orthodox Church's leading role in Ukraine.
Moscow wants more Ukrainian territories
Meanwhile, Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's deputy Security Council head, claimed that Russia is not fighting for no reason but rather "reclaiming its own lands" in Ukraine. He referenced the 2022 referendums held in occupied areas of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. According to Medvedev, these territories and their residents have been part of Russia for centuries.
These statements fit into the Kremlin's broader concept of "Novorossiya." This term refers not only to Crimea and the four illegally annexed regions but also to a much broader list of Ukrainian regions. This list includes Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Odesa. These claims suggest that Moscow's actual territorial ambitions far exceed the official boundaries.
Meanwhile, the United States' previously proposed 28-point peace plan called for a significantly different approach. The plan called for preserving the Russian occupation of Crimea, all of Luhansk and Donetsk, and parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. It also demanded the return of all other occupied territories, including those in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk. According to sources, it was precisely these provisions that the Kremlin deemed unacceptable.
The Russian government insists that future negotiations address the so-called "root causes of the war." These claims include allegations of discrimination against Russian-speaking populations and restrictions on the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.
Additionally, the Kremlin consistently rejects the idea of involving foreign military forces in postwar security guarantees for Ukraine. This component is one of the key elements in the development of peace initiatives currently being discussed by Ukraine's Western partners.
Read more:
