Russian and Ukrainian delegates attended their third round of direct negotiations today in Istanbul. The meeting was extremely short, only about 40 minutes in length. The negotiations finished without any major breakthroughs, a sign of the continued friction between the two countries. This afternoon Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reaffirmed that Moscow’s delegation is not changing. He noted that the two sides’ negotiating positions remain “diametrically opposed.”
Violence on both sides has continued to increase. At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not responded to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest threat to do just that. Instead, Putin’s forces have continued to bombard Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles, demonstrating a relentless approach to military operations. Ground troops have achieved important, though small, advances in eastern Ukraine, making the already tenuous status quo even more complicated.
Putin’s war objectives remain clear: he aims to dismantle Ukraine’s sovereignty and merge it with Russia. He has gone so far, incorrectly, to assert that Russia and Ukraine are one country. This maximalist approach reflects very little willingness to negotiate, as shown by the failure of the recent negotiations.
According to the UK’s Ministry of Defence, that Russia has likely endured more than 1 million casualties. This figure shows the cumulative effect of its full-scale invasion, started in earnest in February of last year. The Center for Strategic and International Studies puts the number even lower, at about 950,000. Some projections show Russia achieving the grim milestone of 1 million casualties as early as summer 2025.
Peskov commented on the difficult spirit of the talks.
“No one expects an easy path. It will be a very difficult discussion.” – Dmitry Peskov
Though the realities of war may seem daunting, responses internationally are still developing. And the European Union just issued another progressive round of sanctions. These new measures are intended to further reduce the price cap on Russian oil exported. Western nations have never been more aligned in their collective resolve to put unprecedented economic pressure on Russia. This strategy is intended to offset Russia’s expansionist behavior.
As this horror story continues to unfold, Trump’s remarks about his conversations with Putin demonstrate the murky waters of international diplomacy.
“My conversations with him are very pleasant, and then the missiles go off at night.” – Donald Trump
