Moscow signals no detente with U.S., complicating prospects for Ukraine peace deal

By zoeysky // 2025-08-14

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Despite some diplomatic talks, tensions remain high. Russia rejects the idea of improved relations, especially after abandoning key nuclear missile limits, blaming NATO's actions.
Russia has dropped its voluntary ban on deploying intermediate-range missiles (previously restricted by a defunct Cold War treaty), raising fears of a new arms race.
The conflict drags on with no peace in sight. Russia controls 20 percent of Ukraine and refuses to withdraw, while Kyiv and Europe reject any deals that reward Russian aggression with land.
President Zelensky won't cede territory without a ceasefire first, and Europe backs Ukraine's right to decide its future, including potential EU membership (though NATO entry is off the table for now).
With no diplomatic breakthrough, the war is a grinding battle of attrition. Russia aims to keep seized land, while the West refuses to accept it, prolonging the bloodshed. U.S.-Russia relations are still frosty, nuclear tensions are rising and the Ukraine war has no endgame, just more fighting and global uncertainty.

Despite recent diplomatic overtures between the White House and the Kremlin, Russia has made it clear that any talk of a thaw in relations is premature. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov recently dismissed the idea of "detente," signaling that tensions remain dangerously high, especially as Moscow abandons key nuclear restraints and the war in Ukraine grinds on with no end in sight. While some cautious dialogue has resumed between the U.S. and Russia, Ryabkov emphasized that the two nations remain deeply at odds. His comments come after Russia officially ended its self-imposed moratorium on deploying intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles. Moscow has justified the decision as being forced by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) aggressive posture. The 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which once limited such weapons, collapsed in 2019 after the U.S. withdrew under President Donald Trump's first term, accusing Russia of violations, a charge the Kremlin denies. Until now, Russia had voluntarily adhered to the treaty's limits. However, Ryabkov argued that Western actions – including recent military drills in Australia featuring long-range missile systems – left Moscow no choice but to abandon restraint. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reinforced the message, stating that Russia reserves the right to deploy these missiles whenever it sees fit, even without warning. (Related: U.S. signals shift in Ukraine funding as Trump-Putin summit looms.)

What this means for Ukraine

The breakdown in U.S.-Russia diplomacy has direct consequences for Ukraine, where Russia's invasion is now in its third year with no clear path to peace. Despite recent talks between U.S. and Russian officials, including a summit in Alaska, Ukraine and its European allies remain deeply skeptical of any negotiations that exclude them. Reports suggesting possible "land swaps" as part of a peace deal have been met with fierce resistance from Kyiv and European leaders, who insist that no territorial concessions should be made under Russian pressure. European officials, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have stressed that decisions about Ukraine's future cannot be made "over the heads" of Ukrainians. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reiterated that "all temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine," and that any peace deal must not reward Russian aggression. Moscow currently controls nearly 20 percent of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Despite heavy losses, Russia's military has slowly advanced in recent months, using relentless artillery and missile strikes to wear down Ukrainian defenses. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte acknowledged the grim reality, stating that Russian occupation must be addressed in any future talks, even if the West refuses to recognize it legally. He compared the situation to the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), where the U.S. maintained diplomatic ties with exiled governments while acknowledging the de facto control of Moscow.

Ukraine's red lines and a dangerous stalemate

For Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, surrendering land is politically impossible, especially without a ceasefire first. Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have died defending their country, and any concession would be seen as a betrayal. Zelensky insists that a halt in fighting must precede negotiations, while Europe backs Ukraine's right to determine its own future, including military strength and potential EU membership. The U.S., however, has already ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine in the near term, leaving Kyiv reliant on Western arms rather than alliance guarantees. With Moscow and Washington still far from reconciliation, and Russia escalating its military posture, the war in Ukraine shows no signs of ending. For now, the conflict remains a brutal war of attrition – one where diplomacy has failed, and the only certainty is more bloodshed. Watch the full video below of the "Health Ranger Report" as Mike Adams talks about why Europe and Zelensky will never let Trump and Putin reach lasting peace. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

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What this means for Ukraine

Ukraine's red lines and a dangerous stalemate

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