Russian President Vladimir Putin is systematically working to undermine U.S.-led peace efforts in Ukraine while strengthening his negotiating position, according to a leaked Kremlin document obtained by Western intelligence.
The document outlines a strategy to weaken President Donald Trump’s mediating efforts by inflaming tensions between the United States and both China and the European Union.
The strategy appears to have been developed by a Moscow-based think tank connected to Russia’s FSB security service.
Putin made a rare visit to Russia’s Kursk region yesterday in a show of military resolve, appearing in military fatigues for the first time since Ukrainian forces launched a surprise offensive there in August.
The Kremlin announced yesterday morning that operations to reclaim territory in Kursk are in their “final stage,” the Daily Mail outlined.
Trump revealed that American envoys are heading to Moscow to present a potential 30-day ceasefire plan. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy, was reportedly tracked en route to the Russian capital today.
Russia has shown no signs of easing its military campaign despite these diplomatic efforts, continuing heavy aerial bombardments in the days since the ceasefire was proposed.
The outlet noted that the situation has alarmed neighboring countries, with Poland requesting that the United States station nuclear weapons on its territory as a deterrent against Russian aggression.
The leaked document, obtained by the Washington Post, suggests Russia intends to push for “the complete dismantling” of Ukraine’s current government while rejecting international peacekeeping proposals.
It dismisses Trump’s preliminary plans for a Ukraine peace deal within 100 days as “impossible to realize” and suggests that peace “cannot happen before 2026.”
Russia’s negotiating strategy appears to include demanding a halt to Western military support for Kyiv.
Daily Mail reported that Trump has hinted at potential economic consequences for Russia if peace talks fail, stating, “There are things that wouldn’t be pleasant in a financial sense. I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia.”
The Kremlin’s approach to the proposed ceasefire remains cautious. Russian ambassador to London Andrey Kelin stated that Moscow will approach any ceasefire “with a lot of caution” and will insist on conditions “broad and similar to the demands it had previously made to Ukraine, the US and NATO.”
Putin has reportedly vowed to treat Ukrainian soldiers captured in Kursk as “terrorists” rather than prisoners of war, potentially subjecting them to decades-long prison sentences instead of prisoner exchanges.
Footage has emerged showing captured Ukrainian troops being forced to say “Hail to Russia,” a violation of international rules of war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov further inflamed tensions by describing British plans to lead a stabilization force in post-conflict Ukraine as protecting the country’s “Nazi regime.”
The leaked document also outlines territorial ambitions, including the creation of a buffer zone in Ukraine’s northeast and a demilitarized zone near Crimea, which Daily Mail reported Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
It suggests Russia could improve its negotiating position by offering American companies access to develop rare earth minerals in Russia and Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory.
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