A top Russian politician has declared his country seeks victory and the “destruction” of Ukraine, not compromise, throwing this week’s peace talks in Turkey between the two countries into chaos.
Former Russian President and top ally of Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, also implied that Russia would exact revenge over Ukraine’s strikes against its strategic bomber bases Sunday.
Russia’s Security Council’s Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev made the inflammatory comments as the country heads into talks with Ukraine. via REUTERS
The aftermath of a Russian missile and drone attack in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. REUTERS“The Istanbul talks are not for striking a compromise peace on someone else’s delusional terms but for ensuring our swift victory and the complete destruction of the neo-Nazi regime,” Medvedev, the Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, wrote on Telegram Tuesday, using a common Moscow attack line of branding President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government as fascists.
“That’s what the Russian Memorandum published yesterday is about,” he said, referring to a set of demands presented to Ukraine by the Russian delegation at Monday’s peace talks in Istanbul.
Those stringent Russian demands include Ukraine handing over more territory, becoming a neutral country, accepting limits on the size of its army and holding new elections.
“Retribution is inevitable,” he added, apparently in reference to the devastating drone strikes over the weekend, which reportedly wiped out more than a third of Russia’s strategic nuclear bombers and caused $7 billion of damage to Putin’s defenses.
“Our Army is pushing forward and will continue to advance. Everything that needs to be blown up will be blown up, and those who must be eliminated will be,” he warned.
At Monday’s talks, which ended after just an hour, both sides agreed on a new prisoner-of-war swap and the exchange of 12,000 dead soldiers, but no ceasefire.
Ukraine’s surprise attack wiped out or damaged dozens of Russia’s nuclear bombers and other aircraft. Ukraine's Security ServiceThe Russian delegation claimed it had proposed a temporary ceasefire, but limited to only certain sections of the front line.
Many US political figures have reacted to Medvedev’s comments regarding the US-brokered peace talks, including Sen. Lindsey Graham.
“Congratulations to Mr. Medvedev for a rare moment of honesty coming from the Russian propaganda machine. I appreciate you making it clear to the world that Putin and Russia are not remotely interested in peace,” the South Carolina Republican wrote in a sarcastic post on X.
Russian prisoners of war returning home, carrying a Russian flag, after a prisoner swap on May 24, 2025. RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockGraham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-NY) have co-authored a bipartisan bill that provides for “bone-crushing” sanctions on the Moscow regime, and the introduction of a punishing 500% tariff on any nation that buys Russian energy products.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also recently endorsed efforts by Congress to impose sanctions on the Kremlin.
With Post wires.
