Russian ruler Vladimir Putin explicitly rejected a peace plan reportedly considered by US President-elect Donald Trump’s team in early November 2024 that would delay Ukraine’s membership in NATO for at least a decade as a condition for ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
Putin responded on December 26 to a journalist’s request to comment on the Trump team’s reported early November suggestion to delay Ukraine’s membership in NATO for 10 to 20 years, the Institute for the study of war reported. Putin stated that it does not matter if Ukraine joins NATO “today, tomorrow, or in 10 years.”
Putin’s demands: no compromises on his previous demands
Putin’s December 26 statement is part of a recent series of comments reiterating his refusal to consider compromises on his late 2021 and early 2022 demands.
These demands include forcing Ukraine to become a permanently neutral state that will never join NATO, imposing severe limitations on the size of the Ukrainian armed forces, and changing the Ukrainian government.
Putin claimed that during his meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, “they discussed a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine.” According to the Russian ruler, Slovakia expressed its readiness to provide a platform for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Putin stated that Russia is not against this idea.
At the same time, the Kremlin leader emphasized that the Russian army would continue striving for success on the frontline.
“Of course, we proceed with the knowledge that we will accomplish all the tasks of the special military operation,” he said. This is generally task number one,” he said.
Putin still uses the term “special military operation” for his all-out war against Ukraine, almost three years on. Other officials have backed Putin’s stance with their statements.
Lavrov’s statement and disinformation over Zelenskyy’s “illegitimacy”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated Putin’s false claims that the current Ukrainian government is illegitimate and cannot be a legitimate negotiating partner for Russia (source: mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1989213/). Lavrov claimed on December 26 during an interview with Russian and foreign media that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not legitimate according to Ukraine’s constitution and that Ukraine needs to hold presidential elections.
The Russian propaganda machine and its friendly outlets in Europe have been vocal in spreading the claim about the “illegitimacy” of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy since May. The initial disinformation operations did not succeed, but the Kremlin persists.
Kremlin officials have been deliberately misinterpreting the Ukrainian Constitution and Ukrainian law to delegitimize Ukraine’s government and sovereignty in recent months. The Kremlin’s allegations that Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian government are not legitimate demonstrate that the Kremlin is unwilling to engage in negotiations with Ukraine or is effectively demanding government change in Kyiv as a precondition for negotiations.
Putin and other Kremlin officials have repeatedly reiterated this false narrative about Zelensky’s alleged illegitimacy in order to blame Ukraine—and not Russia—for delaying negotiations. This false narrative also promotes Putin’s demand for the removal of the legitimate, democratically elected Ukrainian government—one of the Kremlin’s ongoing maximalist demands in the war.
On December 24, Dmitry Peskov, the Russian leader’s spokesperson, claimed that Russia was ready for negotiations with Ukraine. But Putin’s words go against this statement. It’s another storyline of the Russian propaganda machine, the claim that Ukraine rejects peace talks.
Read more: Top-3 fakes spread by pro-Russian media
Zelenskyy supports peace talks with participation of US and EU
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Dec. 19 that US and EU participation in potential peace negotiations with Russia is crucial while rejecting the idea of freezing the conflict.
Ahead of Donald Trump’s expected focus on ending the war in Ukraine following his inauguration on Jan. 20, the Ukrainian president expressed hope that the EU would be involved in the effort with a united stance.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned against giving Russia a temporary break in the war it seeks through a ceasefire, advocating instead for concerted global pressure to achieve a just and lasting end to Russia’s war.
Ukrainian President also underscored the role of the so-called Global South nations, including China, India, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil, in supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and influencing Moscow.
Russian troops seize Kurakhove
At the same time Russian invading troops increase attacks on the front line in Ukraine. Russians have likely seized Kurakhove in the Donetsk region following two months of intensified offensive operations aimed at seizing the settlement and eliminating the Ukrainian salient north and south of the settlement, as shown also on the DeepState live map.
Geolocated footage published on December 24 and 25 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced in western Kurakhove and up to a windbreak southwest of the settlement, the ISW analysts wrote. The report says that Russian invading forces have likely advanced to the administrative boundaries of Kurakhove and seized the settlement and the fields south of it and north of Dalne.
According to Russian milbloggers, Russian troops have raised a flag over western Kurakhove, and specific brigades are currently conducting attacks along Kurakhove’s northern and southern flanks. Ukraine’s Khortytsia Group of Forces acknowledged that Ukrainian forces recently lost unspecified positions in the Kurakhove direction.
Russian continuous assaults along the front line and statements by Putin and Lavrov show that there is little will to go to the negotiation table in the Kremlin. This jeopardizes Trump’s plans to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours when he steps in as a new US president in January.
