Russians Make a Mockery of Istanbul Talks, Press for outrageous concessions
Russia has once again exposed its true intentions at the negotiating table — not peace, but submission. During back-channel discussions in Istanbul, Moscow presented Ukraine with a list of demands so extreme, they bordered on parody. Rather than seeking an end to the war, Russia used the talks to press for capitulation.
According to sources familiar with the negotiations, Russia demanded that Ukraine withdraw its forces from four regions that are only partially under Russian control — Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson — and formally recognize these occupied territories as Russian land. In addition, the Kremlin insisted that Ukraine give up its NATO aspirations, adopt a status of “permanent neutrality,” and lift all sanctions imposed by Western allies.
In other words: surrender, disarm, and help rebuild the economy of the very state that invaded and brutalized your people.
These were not starting points for negotiation — they were ultimatums, dressed up as diplomacy. The absurdity of the offer only reinforced what Ukraine and its allies already know: Moscow’s definition of peace is total Ukrainian subjugation.
A Kremlin spokesman tried to portray the talks as a sign of Russia’s openness to dialogue, but added the catch — any agreement must be on “Russia’s terms.” It’s a familiar game: fabricate a peace initiative, push an impossible list of demands, and then blame Ukraine for “refusing diplomacy.”
Ukrainian officials flatly rejected the so-called proposals, reaffirming that no negotiations are possible while Russian troops occupy Ukrainian land and missiles continue to strike civilian infrastructure. One senior Ukrainian official remarked that Ukraine would not allow Russia to “negotiate away our sovereignty in exchange for a temporary pause in shelling.”
The Istanbul episode follows a consistent pattern of Russian behavior. While publicly posturing as a peace-seeking power, the Kremlin funds disinformation campaigns abroad, mobilizes troops at home, and launches fresh attacks across the front. Each “peace” proposal is just another tactic in the broader hybrid war — a mix of military pressure, diplomatic manipulation, and psychological warfare.
Far from signaling any shift in Moscow’s position, the Istanbul talks confirmed the opposite: that the Kremlin remains trapped in its own imperial hallucinations. It continues to mistake brutality for strength, and occupation for legitimacy.
If Russia wanted peace, it would pull its troops out of Ukraine. Instead, it demands land, obedience, and immunity from consequences — and dares to call that diplomacy.
There can be no serious talks until Russia abandons its delusions of conquest. Until then, Ukraine — and the world — will treat these overtures for what they are: propaganda wrapped in the language of peace.
Previously, Russia started to prepare its public for the failure of negotiations while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Putin’s bluff.