Russia has no intention of ending its war against Ukraine through negotiations, while Vladimir Putin continues to pursue Kyiv’s complete capitulation. Only Ukrainian ballistic missile strikes on Moscow and St. Petersburg could change the Kremlin’s position.
This assessment was made by political analyst Yevhen Mahda, director of the Institute of World Policy, during an appearance on the VOT TAK television channel, where he commented on the results of a meeting between US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin.
“Ukrainian ballistic missiles need to start hitting Moscow or St. Petersburg. This is the most effective way to get Russia to reciprocate,” Mahda said when asked what could force Moscow to engage in meaningful negotiations.
The political analyst believes Putin has no interest in a negotiated compromise, even if Ukraine agrees to a ceasefire along the current front line.
“I think Putin is not prepared to accept any option other than Ukraine’s capitulation. That is his goal, his ambition, and he will pursue it quite consistently,” the expert emphasized.
Mahda also sharply criticized Steve Witkoff’s behavior during his talks with the Russian president, describing his compliments to Putin as excessive flattery.
“Considering that just the day before yesterday, Russian killers murdered a one-year-old girl in the Kharkiv region, I understand that during negotiations you sometimes need to flatter your counterpart, but not to the extent that Witkoff did,” he said.
According to Mahda, the US special envoy effectively returned from St. Petersburg with nothing more than the Kremlin’s promise to resume negotiations in November. Meanwhile, Russia continues to pretend that it is ready for a diplomatic settlement.
Mahda was equally harsh in his assessment of the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard, who was captured by Russian forces in Ukraine in 2022.
“This is an undisguised political bribe that Trump will try to use to his own advantage,” the political analyst stated.
He argued that the US president would be able to present Hubbard’s release as a personal diplomatic victory ahead of the US congressional elections.
Mahda also expressed skepticism about the Kremlin’s statements regarding the possible resumption of trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States in the first half of November.
“Ushakov’s statement falls into the category of fake news, as Trump likes to say,” he remarked, stressing that without a confirmed date and the actual start of negotiations, it is premature to speak of any diplomatic breakthrough.
At the same time, the political analyst warned that Russia could intensify its attacks against Ukrainian civilians in the coming days.
“Unfortunately, we should expect intensified strikes on Ukrainian cities and more deaths among Ukrainian citizens. This is the harsh reality of the war as it stands today,” Mahda said.
In his view, if Moscow genuinely wanted to end the fighting, it could propose even a brief ceasefire lasting one or two days. Instead, the Kremlin continues its military campaign while using negotiations to buy time.
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