Trust in Vladimir Putin's Sincere Promises of Peace

"[I am ready for contact with Zelenskyy] but I do not see much point. Why? Because it is nearly impossible to reach agreement with the Ukrainian side on key issues."

"If decisions are reached that will lead... to long-term peace, then I simply don't see the point in [foreign troops'] presence [in Ukraine]."

"[Russia would comply with any decisions leading to long-term peace] in full." 

"[Any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine would be] legitimate targets. If any troops appear there [Ukraine], especially now while fighting is ongoing, we assume that they will be legitimate targets."

"As for possible military contingents in Ukraine, this is one of the primary reasons for Ukraine's involvement in NATO. Therefore, if any troops appear there, especially now, during the course of hostilities, we assume that they will be legitimate targets for their destruction."

"And if decisions are reached that will lead to peace, to a long-term peace, then I simply do not see any point in their presence on the territory of Ukraine."

"President Trump and I have an open dialogue and we have agreed that, if necessary, we can call each other, get in touch and come to an agreement. He knows that I am open to these conversations and he is too, I know that."

"But so far, based on the results of those consultations in Europe, we have not had any conversations." 

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his speech at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, Sept. 5, 2025.  Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool via AP

 

"[It is important that security guarantees] start working now, during the war, and not only after it ends."

"[It is too early to commit to the number of troops that might be involved, but] it will definitely not be in the single digits, but in thousands."

"[More details cannot be disclosed since they are] sensitive and relate to the military sphere."

"We support any format, bilateral meeting, trilateral meeting, I believe that Russia does everything to defer it."  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy  

 

"It is impossible to ensure the security of one country at the expense of destroying the security of another."

"This will not help us get closer to a solution to the Ukrainian conflict."

"We are the enemy of NATO. This is written in the NATO documents. We will do everything necessary to ensure our security."

"[The presence of foreign troops in Ukraine near the Russian border would be] dangerous for our country." 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov

European leaders re-pledged commitment to a prospective peacekeeping force, the very same prospect that Moscow describes as "unacceptable". Vladimir Putin unequivocally slammed the potential of European troops appearing in Ukraine as part of a commitment to respond to Kyiv's demand for reassurance on the premise that should a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine be achieved, Russia will continue its occupation on a more stealthy footing, refusing in the final analysis, to surrender its intentions to fully fracture Ukraine to Russia's territorial advantage.

 

For its part, Putin declared that "no one would doubt" Moscow would comply with a treaty halting its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, he declared, security guarantees would be required for Russia as well, along with Ukraine. For Russia, those security guarantees would no doubt relate to its military hold on the areas of Ukraine it has unilaterally declared part of Greater Russia. Even though the only part of Ukraine where Moscow has full control is Crimea. Although Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia have been declared annexed they are not fully occupied by Russia.

 

France's President Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky arrive to chair the Coalition of the Willing Summit, at The Elysee presidential Palace in Paris, September 4, 2025.

Ludovic Marin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

 

Ukraine's European allies are aware of the need to maintain "maximum pressure" on Moscow to prevent it from maintaining the full prosecution of the conflict with the obvious aim of solidifying its successes on the battlefield to the extent it enables itself to fully occupy the four oblasts it has claimed for Russia. According to French President Emmanuel Macron, 26 of Ukraine's allies pledge to deploy a "reassurance force" upon the end of the conflict when a peace agreement or ceasefire has been reached.

 

The 'coalition of the willing', a group of 35 countries supporting Ukraine, met in Paris for a deep discussion of the situation and to reaffirm their support for Ukraine. Of the 26 countries committing to the deployment of troops to Ukraine to maintain a presence on land, at sea and in the air, they were agreed to help guarantee the security of Ukraine the day following the achievement of a ceasefire or peace agreement. 

 

At the international economic conference that took place at the Ambrosetti Forum Friday, President Zelenskyy urged recognition of the importance of security guarantees for Ukraine.  European officials have been informed by their American counterparts that Washington could provide additional air defences, including assistance in the establishment of a no-fly zone, along with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. Ukraine's European allies are convinced that without U.S. assistance their aid to Ukraine in defying Russian territorial grabs would be incomplete.

 

Ukrainian servicemen of the 44th artillery brigade fire a 2s22 Bohdana self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions at the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, as peace talks drag on.  (Danylo Antoniuk/AP Photo)

Once again, overnight Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 157 strikes and decoy drones along with missiles. Ukraine's air defences shot down or jammed 121 of the drones, while one attack damaged multiple residential buildings in Dnipro in central Ukraine. An unspecified 'facility' had been set alight in the strike, according to the regional administration. Serhi Lysak head of regional administration, shared photographs of residential buildings with roofs damaged, glass and rubble covering the ground. "Private homes were damaged. Windows in apartment buildings were shattered", he wrote. 

  

For its part, Ukraine stepped up its attacks on Russian oil infrastructure claiming with good cause, that it fuels Moscow's war effort. In some regions of Russia gas stations have run dry. Motorists wait in long lines while officials have been forced, given the circumstances, to resort to rationing or cutting sales off altogether, reflecting the success of Ukraine's targeting of Russia's oil lines. 

 

Oil pumping jacks in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg)