Russia demands Ukraine surrender before peace, the Institute for the Study of War reports, warning that the Kremlin’s latest peace rhetoric is merely a rebranded version of its original war goals. On 20 July, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov publicly reiterated that Moscow is prepared for rapid negotiations—but only if all Russian conditions are accepted without compromise.

Russia insists on Ukraine’s full political and military capitulation

According to ISW, Peskov’s statements confirm Russia’s continued refusal to engage in any meaningful diplomatic process. He stated that Russia’s objectives are “obvious” and “do not change”—a phrase that aligns with Moscow’s long-standing calls for Ukraine to disarm, abandon its NATO aspirations, and replace its current leadership.

The think tank notes that these demands fall in line with the Kremlin’s narrative of “denazification” and “demilitarization,” language that has always signaled regime change in Kyiv and the erosion of Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. Peskov’s remarks show that Russia’s position on negotiations remains maximalist and unchanged since the invasion began.

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ISW says Peskov’s statements “underline the Kremlin’s continued uninterest in good-faith negotiations with Ukraine and efforts rather to prolong the war — as ISW continues to assess.”

Russia demands Ukraine surrender before peace, ISW underlines, and frames its conditions as removing the so-called “root causes” of the war—a euphemism for erasing Ukraine’s sovereignty and reversing NATO’s open-door policy, “and the removal of Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against future Russian aggression.”