Russia pushes United States toward new Ukraine peace talks

Russia is attempting to present itself as ready to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war, seeking to influence the United States ahead of potential talks. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Moscow is portraying Kyiv as an obstacle to peace in order to shift U.S. perception and pressure Washington into negotiations. Russian Vice‑Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow will continue contacts with the United States about a possible settlement even if Washington changes its stance. Duma officials, including Alexei Chepa and Leonid Sluzky, echoed the view that Ukraine must be willing to negotiate, a claim the ISW called false. The analysis notes that President Donald Trump planned to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey on the sidelines of a NATO summit, and Russian officials see the Kremlin’s messaging as a way to blunt the impact of recent U.S. and European statements supporting Ukraine.