Kremlin continues to signal its disinterest in peace talks - ISW

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank said this in a new report, according to Ukrinform.

ISW analysts noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed reports that Ukraine invited Russia to attend Ukraine's second peace summit but that the Kremlin had not demonstrated any interest in participating. Zelensky also stated in an interview with the New Yorker about Ukraine's "Victory Plan" published on September 22 that Russia is not interested in ending the war on any reasonable terms and is feigning interest in negotiations.

Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov notably stated on September 22 that there is "no alternative" to Russian victory in Ukraine, reiterating Russia's unwillingness to negotiate on terms other than Ukrainian capitulation. Peskov also identified NATO and the West as a "collective enemy." Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Spokesperson Maria Zakharova recently announced that Russia will not participate in the second Ukrainian peace summit or any "such summits."

"ISW continues to assess that the Kremlin is not interested in good faith peace negotiations with Ukraine and that the Kremlin will only invoke the concept of 'peace plans' and 'negotiations' to prompt the West to pressure Ukraine into preemptive concessions on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," ISW analysts said.