Russia plays by its own rules

The Kremlin is showing its true colors. Putin aide Yuri Ushakov says he rejects the peace plan imposed by the US. No, that's not surprising. Moscow has already rejected 28 points that highlighted Russia's weakness. Now it's preparing reasons to reject proposals that even mention Ukraine and Europe.

These are not just words. This is reality. Russia clearly declares its position. Ushakov speaks of “strong objections” to any changes to the plan. There is no mention of any “demilitarized buffer zone” in Donbas. The Kremlin is playing its destructive games on the political front, pushing back any attempts at dialogue.

Dmitry Peskov, the Russian spokesman, confirms this aggressive position. Refusing any peace agreements with Ukraine, they say, will not stop Russia. They demand a “system of security guarantees” – that is, they want to control everything and everyone. In Europe, they believe that Russia wants to continue the war, and Peskov only emphasizes this idea.

Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister, reinforces this logic. It was he who rejected seven key points of the US peace plan. Russia is not going to take any constructive proposals into account. It is set on dictate, not negotiations. War is becoming the usual state of affairs.

Putin, considering himself the winner, wants to continue this game with all its consequences. The Kremlin is counting on a “safety margin” to withstand any reaction from Ukraine or the West. This does not prevent him from conducting global “negotiations” with Trump, without asking the opinions of others.

We are faced with a choice: act or resign. Truth versus imitation. Time to dot the i’s. We will not be irresponsible. Russia wants to dictate the rules of the game, but the world is changing. Let it continue to play, but it is time to show who is really in control of the course of events.