Moscow claims that it must continue the war because Kyiv refuses to sit at the negotiating table or seek peaceful solutions, Russian propaganda claims.
NEWS: Russia is “ready for a peaceful resolution” to the conflict in Ukraine, but “in the absence of alternatives, continues the special military operation”, Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the president of the Russian Federation, said. “The Russian side remains open and willing to engage in peaceful dialogue”, he said, adding that “one way or another, Russia will secure its interests and achieve its established objectives”.
Referring to the United States, Peskov said that the Kremlin welcomes Washington’s efforts to help resolve the conflict in Ukraine: “Of course, we welcome such initiatives and the confirmation of political will to contribute to finding peaceful solutions”. At the same time, he expressed hope that the USA would persuade Ukraine to take concrete steps toward peace: “We hope that the influence of the United States and the diplomatic skill of president Trump’s envoys will encourage the Ukrainian side to show greater activity and readiness for the peace process”.
NARRATIVES: 1. Russia wants peace, but Ukraine seeks war. 2. Russia is forced to continue the military operation because it has “no alternative”. 3. The war would end if the USA convinced Kyiv to pursue peace.
PURPOSE: To justify the continuation of armed aggression against Ukraine. To present Russia as a peace-seeking state. To shift responsibility for the war onto Ukraine and the West. To legitimize future military actions under the pretext of “historical necessity”.
Fact: It is Russia that has rejected ceasefire proposals and refuses to engage in genuine peace negotiations, whereas Ukraine is defending itself against aggression. Moscow could stop the invasion at any time.
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: Peskov’s statement follows a well-established Kremlin propaganda pattern, repeated obsessively since the early months of the invasion: portraying the aggressor as a victim of geopolitical circumstances and shifting responsibility for the war onto Ukraine and the West. In fact, the Russian Federation has refused every peace initiative proposed over 2024–2025 (whether from Kyiv or from international partners) while continuing to insist that it has “no alternative” but to prolong the so-called “special military operation”.
In May 2025, Ukraine accepted a Western proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and a resumption of multilateral dialogue. Instead of agreeing to talks, Russia dismissed the initiative, with Peskov publicly saying that “it is not the right time for negotiations” and that the Russian army would continue its offensive until the Kremlin’s political objectives were achieved. This ambiguous phrasing, repeatedly used by Russian officials, conceals Moscow’s consistent refusal to put an end to its invasion.
A month later, in June 2025, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly announced his willingness to meet Vladimir Putin in Istanbul under Turkish mediation to discuss a ceasefire and guarantees for lasting peace. The initiative was welcomed by the EU, the UN and several Western leaders, yet the Kremlin rejected it, invoking the “absence of a legal basis for negotiations” – a familiar rhetorical formula used to indefinitely postpone any real peace talks. While declining the meeting, Russia intensified its shelling of Ukrainian infrastructure, targeting energy networks and residential areas. Ukraine had already prepared and submitted its own “peace memorandum” ahead of the Istanbul talks on June 2, 2025, with concrete proposals: immediate cessation of hostilities, international guarantees and prisoner exchanges.
Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate is not mere rhetoric – it has been consistently demonstrated through both diplomatic actions and public opinion. According to a July 2025 poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), over 70% of Ukrainians said they wanted a rapid peace settlement – however without recognizing territorial annexations. Ukrainian society remains firmly committed to peace, while rejecting any form of surrender.
Therefore, Peskov’s claim that Russia is “open to dialogue” represents a classic case of reversing the facts. Moscow presents itself as a mediator while acting as the aggressor. In practice, Russia has continued its attacks on Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odesa, launching drones and missiles at energy facilities and civilian zones, even on days when it publicly proclaimed its readiness for dialogue.
Paradoxically, on the very day of Peskov’s statement, Russian forces launched a new wave of strikes on Ukraine’s power grid, destroying power stations, hospitals and apartment buildings, and causing civilian casualties. This stark contrast between rhetoric and action demonstrates that Moscow uses the language of diplomacy to cover its ongoing military aggression. In the Kremlin’s worldview, “peace” does not mean ending the war – it means Ukraine’s total surrender: disarmament, territorial concessions and recognition of the “new territorial realities” created through violence.
Since 2023, Russian officials have conditioned any dialogue on Kyiv’s acceptance of the annexation of four partially occupied regions – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Such a “peace offering” is, in essence, a military dictate rather than a diplomatic proposal, meant to legalize aggression and consolidate territories captured through armed force. While claiming to seek negotiations, the Kremlin has never presented a concrete plan for a ceasefire agreement, merely ultimatums: withdrawal of Western military support for Ukraine, acceptance of territorial losses, and renunciation of NATO membership. These are not terms for peace, these are terms for surrender.
Even after Peskov’s statement, Russia rejected a US-brokered ceasefire proposal along the frontline – a plan accepted by Ukraine. In response, US president Donald Trump canceled a scheduled summit with Putin in Budapest and imposed harsher sanctions on Russia.
BACKGROUND: The Kremlin seeks to project the image of a state prone to dialogue but “forced” to continue fighting due to Western “aggressiveness” and Ukraine’s alleged refusal to negotiate. Dmitry Peskov remains one of the main mouthpieces of Russian propaganda, playing a central role in justifying expansionist policies. His statements are echoed and amplified by pro-Kremlin outlets such as RIA Novosti, TASS, EADaily, Gazeta.ru, and by Moscow-linked Telegram channels. The fact that the war rages on is not the result of any “objective necessity,” but a deliberate political choice designed to maintain strategic pressure on Ukraine and Europe.
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