Russia remains unwilling to negotiate on Ukraine following talks in Saudi Arabia — ISW

The Institute for the Study of War reported the information.  

American analysts note that despite the meeting between Russian and American officials in Saudi Arabia on February 18, Russia still shows no signs of being willing to make any significant concessions regarding Ukraine. This is evidenced by assessments from Western intelligence agencies, senior U.S. officials, and long-standing evaluations by ISW.

The fact that the Russian leader Vladimir Putin remains uninterested in good-faith negotiations and maintains his goal of destroying the Ukrainian state is also evidenced by recent statements from Russian officials. They have repeatedly denied Ukraine's sovereignty within its internationally recognized 1991 borders and the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government.

In particular, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on February 16 that Russia had adjusted its position on potential negotiations with Ukraine due to the alleged "deficit" of sovereignty in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Kremlin officials, including Putin, are promoting narratives that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is "illegitimate" and are attempting to claim that the Ukrainian president supposedly lacks the authority to negotiate. They also argue that Moscow is not obligated to honor any agreements he may sign in the future.

“Putin's theory of victory assumes that the Russian military can sustain slow, creeping advances on the battlefield longer than Ukrainian forces can defend and longer than the West is willing to support Ukraine,”  ISW concluded.

U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia on February 18

On February 18, U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks in the Saudi capital. They lasted almost 5 hours. 

Marco Rubio stated after the negotiations that ending the war in Ukraine would require all sides to make concessions, but it would be wrong to determine them in advance. According to him, the countries agreed to restore the staff of their embassies in Washington and Moscow to create "missions to support peace negotiations on Ukraine, bilateral relations, and broader cooperation."

At the same time, Fox News journalist Jacqui Heinrich reported that the United States and Russia are allegedly proposing a three-stage peace plan, which, in particular, includes holding presidential elections in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh without Ukraine's participation, saying that Kyiv would not accept Russia's ultimatums.

After talks between the U.S. and Russia, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the need to hold elections in Ukraine.