Smoke, mirrors and missiles

Once again, Russia danced the peace-talks dance in Istanbul last week, and predictably, it ended with no real breakthroughs. The tangible result? Another prisoner swap deal and an agreement to return the bodies of thousands of soldiers. The big issue? Russia still refuses an unconditional ceasefire, a demand Ukraine and its allies consider non-negotiable to stop the bloodshed.

Moscow ‘offers’ the usual Kremlin remix: a two- or three-day truce in ‘certain areas’ (details suspiciously absent) while pushing for Ukraine to pull back its troops from occupied regions, recognise the illegal annexations of Crimea and the four occupied regions, demilitarise, ban NATO membership, and even adopt Russian as an official language. In other words, it’s not peace – they want Ukraine to surrender and rewrite its sovereignty on Moscow’s terms to firmly keep Ukraine in Russia’s sphere of influence. Putin wants Russia to expand as this is his unhidden ideology.

Blame and defiance

On the other side, Ukraine remains firm, insisting that peace must mean respect for its territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian forces, and security guarantees. But the Kremlin isn’t interested in genuine peace. It keeps up its disinformation campaign, blaming Kyiv for ‘terrorist attacks’ on Russian military airports and accusing the West of dragging Ukraine into a proxy war ‘to the last Ukrainian’. This narrative is a tired Kremlin classic designed to obscure Russia’s responsibility for the war and shift blame onto others.

Attacks amid talks

Adding insult to injury, Russia continued to carry out drone strikes even during Moscow’s own proposed ceasefire periods, including a five-hour assault on Kyiv earlier this week, making it clear that its ‘peace’ offers are a PR stunt rather than a sincere effort. Putin’s claim of talks ‘without preconditions’ is patently false – the Kremlin has repeatedly demanded conditions that would force Ukraine to capitulate.

European and other Western allies, often accused by Kremlin propaganda of sabotaging peace talks, are actually pushing for a lasting peace that respects Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty. Attempts to blame Boris Johnson or other European leaders for ‘derailing’ peace talks are false and debunked, reflecting Russia’s eagerness to sow discord and doubt among Kyiv’s partners.

Smokescreen for aggression

In short, Russia’s so-called peace proposals are nothing but a smokescreen to legitimise its illegal territorial gains and force Ukraine into submission. Ukraine isn’t refusing peace – it’s refusing to accept defeat on Russia’s terms. As long as Moscow clings to maximalist demands and continues its military aggression, genuine peace will remain out of reach.

So the next time you see pro-Kremlin headlines claiming Russia wants peace and the West is to blame for the protracted war, remember, it’s just another disinfo tactic trying to rewrite the war’s real story.

Don’t be deceived.

Also on our EUvsDisinfo radar this week:

• Moscow is spreading the falsehood that the UK, France, Germany, and Poland are pushing for a ceasefire only in order to send military forces into Ukraine, supposedly dragging the world into war. In reality, the UK and France have been leading efforts to establish a peacekeeping force – a coalition of the willing – composed of over 30 nations that would monitor a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, aiming to protect the country from further Russian aggression. These efforts aim to ensure any peace deal is respected and to prevent further Russian escalation, which continues despite Ukraine’s willingness to cease fire.
• Another false claim suggests the EU is arresting citizens for so-called pro-Russian views. The claims spins the case of a Czech teacher who is accused of the criminal offence of denying, questioning, approving or justifying genocide, after having made multiple false claims in her class, such as that openly neo-Nazi Ukrainian forces were skinning and burning Russian-speakers alive, including children. A district court recently sentenced the teacher to a seven-month suspended sentence that can still be appealed. The judge emphasised that the teacher exploited the trust of underage students, who could not critically assess her statements, a key point in the conviction.
• Pro-Kremlin outlets continue to push the lie that the Bucha massacre (Russian forces killing civilians in occupied areas outside Kyiv in early 2022) was staged by Ukraine and the West. This narrative ignores the overwhelming evidence of Russian responsibility, including investigations by the UN, human rights organisations, and satellite images. Many countries have condemned Russia’s war crimes in Bucha and called for accountability, despite continued Kremlin attempts to deny the atrocities.