Ukraine Warns of Russia’s Expanded War Plans Despite Peace Talk Signals
Senior Ukrainian officials visiting Washington have warned that Russia is preparing for a wider war, not peace, even as diplomatic efforts — including those supported by President Donald Trump — seek to bring Moscow to the negotiating table, The Gaze reports, citing Politico.
According to Ukrainian military intelligence, Russia aims to fully occupy Donetsk and Luhansk regions by the fall, followed by the establishment of a “buffer zone” along Ukraine’s northern border by year’s end. The intelligence was shared by Colonel Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, during a media briefing at the Ukrainian Embassy.
Looking ahead to 2026, Russia’s ambitions grow even larger: the occupation of all Ukrainian territory east of the Dnipro River, and the seizure of Mykolaiv and Odesa — a move that would sever Ukraine from the Black Sea and devastate its economy by cutting off grain exports.
“Unfortunately, they are not speaking about peace. They are preparing for war,” Palisa said, following a closed-door briefing with U.S. senators alongside Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.
While Russia has made limited recent gains, analysts predict an intensified summer offensive. However, they also question Moscow’s long-term ability to sustain such a campaign into next year.
Ukrainian officials and Western analysts agree that Putin’s core objectives remain unchanged: anchoring Ukraine to Russia and reshaping Europe’s post-Cold War security order in Moscow’s favor.
“The Russians want a deal. But they don’t see the deal as primarily between them and the Ukrainians,” said George Beebe, former CIA Russia analysis chief. “They see this as a geopolitical tug-of-war with Washington.”
A Russian memo presented during recent Istanbul talks reportedly outlined demands including international recognition of its annexation of Crimea and four partially occupied Ukrainian regions, a ban on Ukraine joining NATO, and limits on Ukraine’s military — conditions Kyiv considers unacceptable.
Read more on The Gaze: Russia’s War on Ukraine: An Unprecedented Act of Genocide Targeting Ukraine’s National Identity and Existence