[ISW: Russia Uninterested in Negotiations, Aiming to Destroy Ukraine]
On June 3, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) released a report stating that Russia is uninterested in sincere peace negotiations and continues to pursue a course aimed at eliminating Ukraine's sovereignty.
The report cites an article in Russian and English published by Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Medvedev on his Telegram channel on June 3. In the article, Medvedev stated that Russia needed negotiations in Istanbul to achieve a "rapid victory and complete destruction" of the Ukrainian government rather than a "compromise peace based on some insane conditions." Medvedev emphasized that Russia's memorandum submitted on June 2 in Istanbul aligns with these goals and threatened that Russia will "blow up everything" and "eliminate" any opponents in response to the Ukrainian Security Service's drone attack on Russian territory on June 1.
Russian President Spokesperson Peskov stated on June 3 that Russia's memorandum aims to "eliminate the roots of the war in Ukraine" and reminded not to expect immediate results from the Istanbul negotiations. He mentioned that Putin is interested in a trilateral meeting with Trump and Zelenskyy, but only if all technical details of a future ceasefire or long-term peace agreement are thoroughly studied and agreed upon beforehand.
The report points out that Russian state media had previously warned the public not to expect substantial progress in Russia-Ukraine negotiations. Meanwhile, the Russian government continues to falsely present its interest in negotiations to the United States and Western countries. Despite Washington's recent efforts to facilitate bilateral talks between US and Russian officials to promote a ceasefire, Russia has shown no flexibility in negotiations regarding any compromises necessary for peace.
The report emphasizes that Russia's Istanbul memorandum still includes demands for significant territorial and political concessions from Ukraine, but Russia itself has not proposed any compromise solutions. "Russia is still pursuing conditions equivalent to Ukraine's total surrender and will continue in this direction until Putin believes he can no longer win through military means."
Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833979607042060/
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