Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Aug. 14 that Moscow was not prepared to agree to a ceasefire that would freeze the current front line.
Russia will continue its war against Ukraine until it can achieve a “long-term, reliable and sustainable” settlement on its own terms, Lavrov said.
Russian Security Council Deputy Chair Dmitry Medvedev similarly claimed on Aug. 12 that Russia would suspend or end its war against Ukraine “exclusively” on Moscow’s terms, indirectly reiterating Russia’s maximalist war aims, which ISW assesses amount to Ukraine’s complete capitulation.
The Kremlin appears to be doubling down on its categorical rejection of meaningful negotiations in an effort to rally the Russian public around a pro-war platform ahead of the State Duma elections scheduled for Sept. 18-20, 2026, ISW analysts said.
The Kremlin’s systematic rejection of Ukrainian ceasefire and peace proposals indicates that Russia remains unwilling to end the war on any terms that fall short of its maximalist demands, the report said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly reaffirmed his commitment to peace negotiations and his willingness to make significant compromises to end the war, ISW said.
Russia has meanwhile sought to falsely portray Ukraine as the intransigent party in peace efforts, the analysts added.
Moscow has also rejected Turkish and Ukrainian proposals for a moratorium on strikes against maritime targets in the Black Sea, further demonstrating Russia’s repeated rejection of even limited diplomatic initiatives proposed by Ukraine and third countries, ISW said.
Reuters reported on Aug. 13, citing sources, that Ukraine had passed Russia a proposal through a third party for both sides to halt attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea.