A top Russian official has delivered a stark warning to Ukraine, stating that the longer it delays engaging in peace talks, the more demanding the terms will become for its people. Moscow has explicitly outlined its conditions for negotiations, demanding that Ukraine cede a significant portion of its territory, approximately one-fifth, much of which has been seized by Russian forces. Additionally, Russia insists that Ukraine renounce any aspirations of joining the Western-led NATO alliance. These demands have been categorically rejected by Ukraine.
Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia’s Security Council and previously serving as President Vladimir Putin’s defense minister, asserted that since Putin proposed peace terms on June 14, Ukraine has lost a substantial amount of territory, specifically 420 square kilometers, along with a heavy toll of lives. “The window of opportunity for Ukraine is narrowing,” Shoigu was shown stating on state television, emphasizing that Ukraine has not responded to the proposal and will continue to lose territory with each passing day of delay. “The Kyiv regime’s illusions that the Europeans will arrange another beautiful peace summit, … at which all their internal problems will be resolved by themselves, are costing the people of Ukraine dearly,” Shoigu remarked.
He provided a figure for Ukrainian troop losses, however, Reuters is unable to independently verify such numbers, and neither side has publicly disclosed its own casualty figures. Having initiated its military intervention in 2022, Russia currently controls about 18% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which it seized and unilaterally annexed in 2014. Russia also holds vast swathes of four regions in southeastern Ukraine that Putin claims must be ceded in their entirety, citing historical and cultural justifications.
Reuters has reported that Putin is prepared to halt the conflict through a negotiated ceasefire that recognizes the current battlefield lines. However, he is prepared to continue fighting if Kyiv and the West fail to respond to his terms. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated last month that Kyiv is open to negotiations, provided that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, recognized by the vast majority of United Nations member states, are fully respected.
