The Kremlin has changed its tone regarding the war against Ukraine: after losses on the front and growing Western pressure, Putin began to talk about returning to diplomacy. Analysts explain why Moscow may be looking for a way out of the situation.
Why Putin started talking about peace negotiations / © Associated Press
Russia shows signs of military and diplomatic exhaustion in the war against Ukraine. Against the backdrop of successful strikes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Russian oil infrastructure and logistics hubs, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a public statement about his readiness to return to a diplomatic settlement of the conflict.
This is reported by Independent.
Why is Putin calling for the resumption of peace negotiations?
Analysts note that Moscow’s calls come at a time when the Russian army is facing a critical breakdown of supply chains, airport closures, and a decline in public support for the war.
At the same time, the Kremlin is increasingly concerned about Washington’s changing position. Russian officials complain that US President Donald Trump is reviewing agreements allegedly reached during last year’s summit in Anchorage, which provided for Russia retaining control over the occupied territories.
Direct confirmation of the internal crisis in the Russian Federation was given by the Russian leader himself. Putin called for peace negotiations to continue on the basis of “previous agreements,” which include Ukraine’s renunciation of NATO membership, cession of its territories, and recognition of the Russian language as a second state language.
“Russia, as has been repeatedly stated, is ready for peace negotiations with Ukraine. We are ready to move forward on the basis of agreements reached in Istanbul,” Putin said on Monday.
Despite the fact that certain political circles previously demanded that Ukraine make territorial concessions, the current situation demonstrates the futility of this approach. Ukraine has now seized the initiative, establishing control over the Black Sea and forcing Moscow to consider banning diesel fuel exports.
“The alternative that Europe and even the US can use is to intensify Ukraine’s success against Russia; helping Kyiv will make it possible not only to freeze the front line but also to break the backbone of Russian logistics operations so that Moscow’s front completely collapses,” write journalists.
An additional factor pressuring the Russian Federation is Donald Trump’s involvement in the conflict with Iran, where Ukraine has strengthened its position by offering Persian Gulf countries its own anti-drone technologies.
Since Trump is seeking quick geopolitical victories and likes to support winning teams, he may change the vector of his policy towards Ukraine and cause Moscow irritation.
Representatives of the Russian leadership openly express their resentment over the US’s failure to fulfill expected agreements. In particular, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Yuri Ushakov stated that only the Russian side adhered to the logic of the Alaska summit regarding the “exchange of territories for peace.”
“The other side, as it turns out now, could not fully play its part,” Ushakov said about the US.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed the opinion that the summit in Anchorage could have been an American maneuver to re-arm Ukraine, and his deputy, Sergey Ryabkov, accused Washington of departing from its former positions after the G7 summit.
Russia continues hybrid warfare against the EU and the West
While European countries are trying to increase their defense budgets, Russia continues to wage hybrid warfare against them. In particular, the Russian Federation engages in sabotage, arson, and large-scale disinformation campaigns on social networks with the aim of radicalizing society.
The Kremlin even tried to exploit the political crisis in Great Britain and the resignation of Keir Starmer. The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, stated on X that Moscow allegedly contributed to this process:
“We did it together by exposing Starmer’s belligerent and consistently wrong policy on immigration, crime, energy, and the economy. He failed to protect Britain and was destroying Western civilization.”
However, despite attempts to destabilize the West, Russia itself has found itself in a vulnerable position. Russia’s military losses currently amount to about 35,000 people per month. A potential defeat of the regular army could provoke internal uprisings in ethnic republics – Ingushetia, Dagestan, Tatarstan, Buryatia, etc.
Trump unexpectedly commented on Putin
Recall that US President Donald Trump said he valued the decisions of Russia, China, and Turkey not to participate in the war against Iran. The American leader announced this during a conversation with journalists at the White House.
He emphasized that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and Russian head Vladimir Putin remained on the sidelines of the conflict.
Trump called this impressive, specifically noting that Erdogan is a strong leader, and the Russian dictator is currently simply “focused on other things.”
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