Russian President Vladimir Putin has "publicly and explicitly outlined his continued commitment to his maximalist war aims in Ukraine — the same aims for which Putin launched his full-scale invasion in 2022," according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
His statements show that Russia rejects the US-backed 28-point peace plan and seeks conditions to renew aggression if its demands are not met.
Putin repeats 2022 war goals, rules out peace on Western terms
Putin spoke on 17 December at an expanded meeting of the Russian Ministry of Defense board, where he declared that Russia would “undoubtedly” achieve its objectives in Ukraine. He said Moscow would prefer diplomatic tools to reach those goals and repeated the Kremlin’s language about addressing the “root causes” of the war — a euphemism it uses to justify its original invasion.
He restated Russia’s aim to seize additional territory under the guise of “liberating historical lands,” warning that the Kremlin would resort to military force if Ukraine and the West “refuse to engage in substantive discussions.” Russian officials have repeatedly described areas far beyond the five illegally annexed Ukrainian oblasts as “historically Russian,” including Odesa City and the wider concept of “Novorossiya,” a fabricated imperial term covering parts of southern and eastern Ukraine.
"The repeated Kremlin statements contradicting elements of the 28-point plan call into question Putin’s willingness to accept even that outline agreement and demonstrate how essential a reliable security guarantee for Ukraine will be to the durability of any agreement," ISW says.
ISW: Russia’s top general promises fast victory — but even his boasts prove the opposite
Kremlin rejects US peace proposal, pushes for further military action
ISW assessed that Putin’s remarks confirm he will not accept the US-proposed 28-point peace plan. The plan calls for Russia to withdraw from territories outside Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, and for freezing the current frontline in the latter two. Neither Putin nor Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov expressed any willingness to accept these conditions during the MoD board meeting.
Instead, their statements reaffirmed that Russia intends to go beyond current positions and continue the war until its full maximalist goals are met. ISW noted that the Kremlin has repeatedly rejected key points of the peace plan in recent weeks, while attempting to place blame for the stalled talks on Ukraine.
Russia opposes any security guarantees for Ukraine
The Kremlin’s rejection of peace includes its opposition to foreign security guarantees for Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on 17 December that Russia’s position on foreign military presence in Ukraine remains “well known, consistent, and clear.”
"The Kremlin is likely seeking a peace agreement without security guarantees in order to set conditions for Russia to renew its aggression against Ukraine in the future," ISW says.
