Citing the outcome of recent talks in Istanbul and the demands voiced by the Russian side, ISW analysts concluded that Russia’s central objective remains Ukraine’s full capitulation. The report emphasized that Moscow does not view its territorial claims as negotiable issues for ending the war,

Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first direct peace talks in three years, but hopes for a breakthrough are still dim after Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey.