MOSCOW: A high-ranking Russian official warned Ukraine on Tuesday that delaying peace negotiations would result in harsher terms for its people.
Moscow insists that any talks must involve Ukraine ceding about 20% of its territory—much of which has been occupied by Russian forces—and renouncing any future aspirations of joining NATO. Ukraine has rejected these demands outright.
Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of Russia’s Security Council and recently the Defence Minister under President Vladimir Putin, noted that since Putin proposed peace terms on June 14, Ukraine has lost 420 square kilometers of territory and suffered significant casualties.
“The window of opportunity for Ukraine is closing,” Shoigu was shown saying on state television. He added that Ukraine’s delay in responding to the terms would result in further territorial losses.
Shoigu criticized the Ukrainian government’s belief that European leaders would broker a favorable peace agreement and solve their internal issues without further sacrifice for the Ukrainian people.
While Shoigu provided figures on Ukrainian troop losses, Reuters has not verified these numbers, and neither side discloses detailed casualty figures.
Since launching its invasion in 2022, Russia controls approximately 18% of Ukraine, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. It also occupies large areas in southeastern Ukraine. Reports indicate that Putin is ready to negotiate a ceasefire based on current battlefield lines but is prepared to continue fighting if Kyiv and the West do not engage.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated last month that Ukraine is open to negotiations as long as its sovereignty and territorial integrity, recognized by most UN member states, are fully respected.
