Kremlin urges West to pressure Ukraine for talks.
The Kremlin is using an information campaign to pressure the West into forcing Ukraine to accept concessions and negotiate on terms favorable to Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent statement about being open to dialogue does not indicate a serious interest in negotiations, and the Kremlin has not abandoned its maximalist goals. China's recent involvement in discussions about a negotiated settlement to Russia's war in Ukraine may indicate an attempt to push the West to influence Ukraine into accepting a ceasefire. The Institute for the Study of War believes that the Kremlin is intensifying its false claims about its readiness to negotiate ahead of the planned Ukrainian counteroffensive to discourage continued Western aid to Ukraine.