As the United States, Ukraine and the European Union weigh possible compromises in Berlin, the Kremlin has signaled in advance a hard rejection of any peace plan.
Against the backdrop of talks among Ukraine, the U.S. and the EU, Moscow began laying the groundwork to refuse proposals even before key consultations started, indicating that no option short of Kyiv’s full capitulation would be acceptable, BILD reported.
A particularly telling signal came from Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin who has recently become a more prominent figure in the talks. In an interview with Pavel Zarubin, a pro-Kremlin broadcaster, Ushakov said any changes to the peace plan by Kyiv or the EU would trigger a sharp rejection from Moscow.
“If appropriate amendments are made to the peace plan, we will have very strong objections. It may include completely unacceptable points for us, including on territorial issues. I don’t know what will end up on paper after the consultations, but it is unlikely to be anything good,” the Kremlin representative said.
His comments suggest Moscow is not prepared to accept any compromise.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) note that the Kremlin is preemptively rejecting initiatives to resolve the bloody conflict, including a Washington-backed idea for a demilitarized zone in the Donbas.
According to the reporting, the initial peace plan comprised 28 points. It envisioned Ukraine’s de facto capitulation, recognizing Crimea as Russian and transferring all of the Donbas to Russia, including areas the Russian military has not captured. For Ukraine, that would mean ceding territory and key defensive positions in the east without meaningful security guarantees.
After objections from Kyiv, the U.S. side reportedly tried to soften the language and floated a demilitarized economic zone. But Ushakov’s remarks indicate even that version is unacceptable to Moscow. At the same time, according to Western agencies, the United States continues to press for territorial concessions from Ukraine, raising tensions around the talks.
Notably, Ushakov’s interview was recorded several days before consultations among Ukraine, Europe and the U.S. in Berlin, during Putin’s visit to Ashgabat. That timing suggests the Kremlin set out its rejection ahead of any discussion.
Ushakov also effectively dismissed the so-called Korean scenario - freezing the front line without legal recognition of occupied territories. Moscow, he indicated, insists on de jure recognition of the occupied areas of the Donbas, a position at odds with international law and Ukraine’s stance.
Taken together, the Kremlin’s moves and statements indicate Russia is not seeking a genuine end to the war and is using the negotiation process as leverage while pre-emptively blocking efforts to reach a just and sustainable peace.
