Kremlin Rejects Kyiv and European Peace Proposals, Citing a «Strategic Initiative» on the Front
At a meeting with Witkoff in St. Petersburg, Putin called Ukrainian and European peace proposals «of little use», while Peskov said Russia needs peace, not a ceasefire. ISW data indicates Ukraine has regained far more territory this year than Russia has captured.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meeting Witkoff in St. Petersburg on 22 October, described Ukrainian and European peace proposals as «of little use». Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added that Russia «needs peace, not a ceasefire». The statements show that Moscow continues to reject the options put forward by Kyiv and Europe for ending Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
Negotiating stance versus the front line
According to the source, Moscow is negotiating on the basis of a claim that it holds «complete strategic initiative» at the front. That claim is contradicted by an assessment from the ISW, the Institute for the Study of War, a US-based analytical center. Its analysts note that since the start of 2026 Ukraine has liberated about 1,080 square kilometres of territory, while Russian forces have captured only 73 square kilometres.
Losses and Western support
Russian army losses over a single day reached 2,250 people. The source describes this figure as a record for the entire full-scale war.
Separately, NATO, the North Atlantic military alliance, will open Ukraine's access to its centralized procurement agency. The source gives no further details on when or to what extent this access will be provided.
