ISW analysts pointed to a statement by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who said Russia has no intention of conducting negotiations “in megaphone mode” or “through the media,” when asked about the points of the peace plan drafted by the U.S. and Ukraine.
Peskov added that the Kremlin will release a video of the opening of the Putin–Witkoff meeting but that “it is too early” to say whether any remarks will follow.
Aleksey Chepa, First Deputy Chair of the State Duma’s Foreign Affairs Committee, also claimed on Dec. 1 that Moscow expects the U.S. delegation to “confirm the principles” the two countries supposedly agreed on at summit in Alaska in August 2025 — even though no public agreements were announced, ISW noted.
In this same rhetorical pattern, ISW cited comments by Aleksey Zhuravlyov, Deputy Chair of the Duma’s Defense Committee, who said on Dec. 1 that “the proper way to negotiate is between Russia and the U.S., and then present Europe and Ukraine with a fait accompli — they’ll sit down and sign whatever we tell them.”
ISW recalled that Russian officials and military bloggers have consistently dismissed the original 28-point peace plan and its updated versions since the first reports appeared in mid-November 2025. Moscow continues to insist that these plans fail to meet Russia’s maximalist military demands. At the same time, the Kremlin uses ambiguity around the supposed Alaska summit to obscure the fact that it is Russia — not Ukraine — obstructing negotiations by refusing to compromise.
ISW predicted that the Kremlin will likely repeat this strategy in relation to the upcoming Witkoff–Putin meeting. Moscow is already preparing conditions to hide details from the public — likely because Russia intends to reject the peace terms. The Kremlin appears keen to avoid being perceived as the side blocking efforts to end the war, especially if Moscow explicitly rejects the agreement.
ISW reminded that Russia has already rejected several U.S.-proposed ceasefire arrangements to which Ukraine had agreed in advance.
The meeting between Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump, will take place on Dec. 2. Peskov said the meeting will occur in the afternoon.
Ahead of Witkoff’s visit, the Kremlin announced that Putin had visited a Russian military command post on Nov. 30, where Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov allegedly reported the “capture” of Pokrovsk and Vovchansk in Donetsk and Kharkiv Oblasts. Neither ISW nor DeepState confirms these claims.
Andrii Kovalеnkо, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, said Russia will intensify both frontline pressure and loud information operations in the coming weeks.
“All of this is aimed exclusively at Western audiences and at raising the diplomatic stakes," Kovalеnkо noted.
"As of now, part of Vovchansk remains under the control of Ukraine’s Defense Forces, and the enemy has not captured Kupyansk despite lying about it. Heavy fighting continues, and the enemy is committing significant forces.”