Russia wants only Ukraine's capitulation. Moscow's maximalist demands regarding Ukraine from 2021–2022 remain unchanged. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), this became clear during the visit of Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin's special envoy for investment and economic cooperation, to the US. 

Dmitriev's visit followed US sanctions against Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil.

Kremlin's unyielding demands: capitulation 

In the US, Dmitriev stated that Russia seeks solutions to the “root causes” of the war. ISW notes that Moscow uses this narrative to insist on:

• Replacing Ukraine’s government with a Russian-backed puppet administration.
• Obligating Ukraine to remain neutral, leaving the country defenseless against military aggression.
• Ending NATO’s open-door policy

"Complete annihilation of humanity"

Dmitriev, known as Putin’s negotiator, claimed that “the security of the whole world” depends on peaceful US–Russia relations and warned the Trump administration about “complete annihilation of humanity” according to ISW.

He also pushed for US–Russia economic cooperation, subtly referencing Russia’s nuclear capabilities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin began nuclear exercises on 22 October, which included launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, after their potential meeting with Trump in Budapest was cancelled. 

According to Dmitriev, the US must consider Russia’s “national interests” in peace discussions. He cited NATO expansion as an “existential threat” to Russia and framed the need to “protect Russian-speaking populations in eastern Ukraine.”

Dmitriev additionally repeated Russia’s proposal to build a tunnel between the US and Russia across the Bering Strait using Elon Musk’s technology, claiming economic cooperation could become the “foundation of peaceful US–Russia relations.”

Sweets with threats

Additionally, Kirill Dmitriev brought boxes of chocolates to the negotiations in the United States, with wrappers featuring quotes by Russian President Vladimir Putin. He shared this on his Instagram page.

The chocolates included phrases such as “Russia doesn’t abandon its own” and “Russia’s borders have no end anywhere.”

Other quotes included:

• “It is pointless to speak to Russia from a position of strength.”
• “The fewer teeth you have, the more you love porridge.”
• “When a person stops being amazed, it’s time for them to go to the cemetery.”

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also said that Russia’s position on Ukraine has not changed since the Alaska summit in August 2025, rejecting any ceasefire that does not address the alleged “root causes” of the war.

Russia’s claims of victory in Ukraine are pure fiction, argues retired US General Jack Keane in his 24 October 2025 New York Post opinion piece. Despite nearly four years of all-out war, Russia is bleeding manpower, facing a collapsing economy, and relying on lies to mask its military failure. 

Keane, chair of the Institute for the Study of War, says Kremlin propaganda conceals the reality that Russia is losing militarily and internally.

Russia’s war of attrition hides catastrophic losses

According to Keane, Vladimir Putin insists that victory in Ukraine is inevitable and refuses any peace deal that does not hand him full control of the Donbas. Yet after years of fighting, Russia’s forces remain stuck in place. They have failed to take any major Ukrainian city since 2022 and now fight for small towns and empty fields at what Keane calls “extravagant losses.”

Ukraine’s resistance, aided by effective drone warfare, has forced Russian troops to abandon tanks and mechanized formations. Instead, they attack in small squads of three to five soldiers, suffering massive casualties to move only meters forward. Keane cites data showing that in 2025, Russian forces lost an average of 70 to 75 soldiers for every square kilometer captured — a rate he calls “horrifying.”

Putin leans on foreign allies as Russia’s losses mount and recruitment system unravels

Keane writes that without China, North Korea, and Iran, Russia’s war effort would collapse. He highlights that 10,000 North Korean troops helped Moscow retake Kursk — a move he calls embarrassing.

Even as Russia loses 35,000 troops per month, the Kremlin is cutting enlistment bonuses. Keane suggests forced mobilization may follow, risking backlash at home.

As Russia’s economy sinks, Kremlin bets big on propaganda

Keane reports Russia’s sovereign wealth fund dropped from $113 billion in 2022 to $50.26 billion by October 2025. The country faces 16.5% interest rates and a 13–20% gasoline shortage due to Ukrainian refinery strikes. Trump’s sanctions have also hurt oil revenues.

Despite this, the Kremlin raised propaganda spending by 54% in its 2026 budget, flooding media with false victories to hide battlefield losses and economic pain.

There is no confirmed information that Russian troops have entered Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, spokesperson Victor Tregubov of the Khortytsia group of forces told Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne on June 13, refuting earlier claims published by the New York Times (NYT).

The NYT cited Ukrainian military sources claiming that Russian troops crossed the administrative boundary into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast for the first time since the war began.

The reporting also referenced a map by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) indicating that Russian forces advancing in the region had allegedly secured a foothold.

Tregubov said the situation remains unchanged as of June 13. He indicated that no information suggests Russian forces have crossed the administrative border, but he noted that updated intelligence may be available later in the day.

Andrii Zadubiny, press officer of the Khortytsia forces, also rejected the claims.

"No enemy incursion into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast has been recorded. We refute this information," he told Suspilne. He suggested that ISW might be relying on Russian sources.

On June 8, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that its forces had entered Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a claim that has not been substantiated by Ukrainian authorities.

The Ukrainian monitoring group DeepState also reported no evidence of Russian forces entering the oblast. A map depicting Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine indicates that the Russian troops are only a couple of kilometers from the border.

To date, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — a major industrial region in central Ukraine — has not seen confirmed Russian ground incursions, though it has remained under constant threat from missile and drone attacks.

In late April, Ukrainian authorities began mandatory evacuations of families with children from four front-line villages — Kolona Mezhova, Novopidhorodne, Raipole, and Sukhareva Balka — located just kilometers from Russian positions.

The latest developments come amid growing pressure on Ukrainian defenses across multiple fronts and continued failure of U.S.-mediated negotiations to produce a ceasefire agreement.

After Israel’s strikes, Ukraine says Iran ‘source of problems’ but warns against destabilization

Ukraine on June 13 expressed concern over the security situation in the Middle East after Israeli air strikes against Iran, but stressed that Tehran remains a “source of problems” in the region “and beyond.”

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek