Russia ups pressure on Ukraine for peace, hinting at capitulation

"Everything that Russia offers us does not concern peace, but Ukraine's capitulation." This is precisely how Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the head of the President of Ukraine's office, commented on the "peace initiatives" taken by Vladimir Putin. So, is the war in Ukraine coming to an end?

The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for two and a half years. Initially anticipated to be a blitzkrieg, it resembles a war of attrition much more today. Despite the significantly different potentials, both countries are approaching an inevitable point, announcing a general mobilization that is increasingly realistic for Russia.

However, Vladimir Putin himself is indeed refraining from this. Following the last such idea, there was a massive, multi-million-man escape from Russia. The Kremlin leader, however, must come up with something because it is no secret that the ongoing war does not work in his favour, and over half of Russians declare a desire for peace talks.

In recent days, he has increasingly begun to broach the topic of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. However, for them to occur, Russians must receive a guarantee that Ukraine will withdraw from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv regions. For obvious reasons, this is met with opposition from Ukrainians.

As soon as Kyiv says it is ready for this, begins to actually withdraw its troops, and formally abandons plans to join NATO, immediately, literally at that moment, we will cease fire and begin negotiations — Vladimir Putin said in a conversation with Russian officials.

The pressure on Ukraine is immense, as similar concessions could be sought after a potential victory by Donald Trump. Even during the presidential debate, the American announced that he would end this war. According to Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the head of the President of Ukraine's office, this offers Ukraine its capitulation.

Everything that Russia offers us does not concern peace, but Ukraine's capitulation. The "Peace Formula" captures the concept of a just world, which is based on the return of international law as such. [...] Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly stressed this: any country can make any proposal, but any proposal not based on international law is merely a way to freeze the war on Ukraine's unfavourable terms, with the possibility of unfreezing it in later stages of the war — he said in an interview with Meduza.