Kremlin pretends to be interested in peace talks to prevent Western aid to Ukraine

The Institute for the Study of War shared its analysis in the recent report. 

American analysts point out that the Kremlin is resuming its information campaign to push the West to force Ukraine to make concessions and negotiate on terms favorable to Russia. 

For example, on May 26, the Kremlin said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin, in a phone conversation with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, expressed "the openness of the Russian side to dialogue on the political and diplomatic track, which is still blocked by Kyiv and its Western sponsors." 

The ISW believes that Putin's statement does not mean that Russia is interested in negotiations with Ukraine, as the Kremlin has not created serious grounds for them and has not abandoned its maximalist goals of forcing Kyiv to capitulate. 

Experts also emphasized that Russia tried to reinforce its false statements about its readiness to negotiate with Ukraine against the backdrop of the arrival of China's Special Representative for Eurasia Li Hui in Moscow on May 26 to discuss a peaceful settlement of Russia's war against Ukraine.   

"The Kremlin is likely amplifying its false interests in negotiations ahead of the planned Ukrainian counteroffensive in order to discourage continued Western aid to Ukraine," the Institute for War Studies concluded.  

• On May 24, the Russian leader’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that it was premature to talk about a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, and that Russia would continue the war until it achieved its goal. 

• On May 27, the Russian Foreign Ministry named Ukraine's refusal to join the EU and NATO, recognition of "territorial realities" and granting Russian the status of an official language as conditions for ending the war.