Russia’s Two Minds on Ukraine | by Nina L. Khrushcheva - Project Syndicate

Russia’s Two Minds on Ukraine | by Nina L. Khrushcheva - Project Syndicate

Now that Russia has the upper hand on the battlefield in Ukraine, it is well-positioned to secure a highly favorable agreement to end the fighting – an outcome that most of its population would welcome. So, why is the Kremlin showing no willingness to negotiate?

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) considers that Vladimir Putin has not prepared the Russian information space for signing a peace agreement or for ending the war with Ukraine, because Moscow has intensified its calls for extension...

This is stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). According to the US report, Ukraine and Europe insist that the ceasefire should precede peace talks in order to halt hostilities and create conditions for diplomacy. Instead, Russia rejects this logic, trying to delay the process and use the negotiations to continue the offensive on the front. Peace talks before the establishment of a ceasefire will allow Russia to continue …

According to a recent analysis published by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Kremlin does not give any indication that it would be willing to conclude a peace agreement or stop hostilities in Ukraine.

In all areas, we only hear about rearmament. Can our world view only be that of a battlefield and our fellow, what a potential opponent? Let's be certain: there is no just war. So, do we really have to take over from the United States? Does it work for France, for [...]

The Kremlin refused to prepare the internal media space for a peace agreement with Ukraine and chose instead to intensify the rhetoric of the war and demonstrate its military force before...