From: Maia Mikhaluk in Kyiv (1178th day)
Negotiations between Ukrainian and ruzzian delegations in Turkey are over and as expected they didn’t bring peace or even ceasefire any closer. On the eve of these “negotiations” “peace-wanting” ruzzia attacked Ukraine with 112 drones during the night (their usual terrorist nightly activity).
Why negotiations between ruzzia and Ukraine cannot bring real results? Because ruzzia comes to the table not seeking peace, but demanding surrender. They act as if they’ve already won the war, even though Ukrainian forces continue to resist and liberate occupied land. At negotiation table today ruzzians proposed that Ukrainian troops to retreat from Ukrainian territory—some of which ruzzian forces have never even fully occupied. That’s not negotiation. That’s pushing demands that they know we would not accept. This farce of negotiation is a show for Trump and a possibility to later say that Ukrainians don’t want peace.
The truth is: the only language ruzzians understand is the language of power.
Political analyst Petro Oleshchuk put it clearly. With Trump possibly returning to power, putin saw an opportunity. From Trump’s point of view, he was offering a generous deal—resetting relations, business, and big money. But putin, a war criminal who knows exactly what he is, saw it differently.
If the West is so eager to befriend him, it must mean they are weak—desperate, even. So why make a deal? Better to strike while they’re down. That’s why putin has become increasingly aggressive and openly dismissive of any peace talks.
Why would he need negotiations? In his mind, he’s already won. His main enemy—the U.S.—is surrendering without a fight. Now he wants to “show them all,” including NATO. Yes, even on NATO soil. A Trump-style “end to the war” doesn’t end it—it just drags it out and risks escalating it to a whole new level. Putin has already made up his mind. He’s preparing to strike directly at the West, while he believes it is at its weakest.
Negotiations built on illusions—on the hope that an aggressor can be reasoned with—only prolong the war and give the enemy time to regroup. Peace will not come through appeasement. It will come when the aggressor is stopped. Not with words, but with strength.
Voice of Ukraine 