Kremlin claims every passing day worsens Ukraine's position

Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin, has said that with every passing day, Russia will toughen its demands on Kyiv to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Source: Kremlin-aligned Russian news agencies TASS and Interfax; Vy slushali mayak (You have been listening to Radio Mayak) Telegram channel

Details: Asked whether Russia's demands on Kyiv could become tougher the longer the peace process drags on, Peskov said: "Absolutely, this can and should be expected. Don't forget that we started saying long ago that every passing day worsens the position of the Kyiv regime [the term used in Russia for the Ukrainian authorities – ed.]."

Meanwhile, Peskov refused to comment on what messages US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may have conveyed to Kyiv during their visit to Ukraine.

"Well, we wouldn't want to comment on everything related to the efforts of the American negotiators. All of this should happen quietly," Peskov said.

He also reiterated that Moscow long ago determined the conditions on which it would be willing to settle the war, insisting that Russia is confident in its military and "victory is very close".

Why this matters: In 2014, Russia invaded Ukraine and occupied Crimea and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. In 2022, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russia continues to strike Ukraine every day, killing civilians, yet even so, in more than four years of full-scale war, its forces have failed to reach the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

From time to time the Russian Defence Ministry or Putin claim to have occupied individual settlements, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine refutes these claims.

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