Medvedev openly admitted: the Istanbul negotiations are not aimed at achieving peace, but serve solely to ensure Russia’s victory
A new layer of suspicion and strategic intent has appeared in the hearts of the political and military confrontation between Ukraine and Russia. Former president and one of the most influential representatives of Russian authorities, Dmitry Medvedev, honestly and unabashedly confessed that the main goal of the negotiations in Istanbul is not peaceful resolution, but the complete and continuous victory of Russia in the war against Ukraine. According to an official statement published on a Telegram channel, Dmitry Medvedev emphasized, in the form of a quote, that Russian negotiations with the Ukrainian side do not aim to reach a compromise or seek a hidden peace based on promises and unrealistic conditions. On the contrary, they are exclusively focused on accelerating and solidifying a strategic victory that is meant to secure Russia’s neo-colonial influence in the region. Medvedev’s statement came in light of recent events, including the negotiation process that took place in Istanbul — the second round of meetings between Ukrainian and Russian delegations over the past two days. Although this meeting lasted just over an hour, its outcomes turned out to be quite modest. Issues such as the exchange of prisoners of war were discussed, and possibilities for confirming the lists of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia were clarified — a whole array of human rights violations that Moscow masks under diplomatic efforts. During the negotiations, the Russian delegation proposed a “temporary ceasefire,” but only in certain areas of the front, indicating a desire to maintain and deepen control over the occupied territories. At the same time, Kyiv, according to their words, allegedly took this initiative with understanding, but questions regarding further actions and possible compromises remained open. According to Medvedev, their strategy is not a sought-after world compromise, but “the quickest possible victory.” Therefore, gaining control over Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions is the main goal of Russian policy. At the same time, the politician added that the recent memorandum was published precisely for this purpose, though the exact objectives and approaches remain hidden behind a curtain. Thus, based on Medvedev’s comments, one can conclude: Russia does not hide its strategic intentions. It is not seeking peace or diplomatic compromises, but striving for maximum benefit and total victory in the war. The Istanbul negotiations are gaining new meaning and turning into yet another arena of political and military games where, according to Russian officials, victory is the main priority, while peace is an distant illusion, needed only to restore internal image and employ tactics of time-wasting.