Playing for Time: What the Kremlin Wants in New Talks with the U.S. on Ukraine - The Moscow Times

As high-level delegations from the U.S. and Russia arrive in Saudi Arabia for the second round of bilateral talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, Moscow's envoys will have one goal on their mind: buying time.

For the Kremlin, dragging out peace negotiations for as long as possible is imperative for seizing as much Ukrainian territory as it can and getting an upper hand over Kyiv in relations with the U.S., as Moscow isn't capable of making these battlefield advances quickly, four sources familiar with the Kremlin's thinking told The Moscow Times.

All of these sources spoke on condition of anonymity in order to share details about sensitive diplomatic matters.

"Time is currently on our side, and we'll try to make the most of it," a Russian diplomat told The Moscow Times.

While President Vladimir Putin said that he agreed in principle to Trump's proposed 30-day ceasefire, he stressed that "nuances" are important for Moscow
-- a signal that Russia will insist on its maximalist demands before it agrees to lay down arms.

It is those nuances that Putin's envoys have been tasked with starting to address in detail at the talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Monday.

Ideally, the Kremlin hopes that Washington will either tacitly allow Russia to keep advancing on the battlefield while diplomats negotiate -- or even pressure Kyiv to fully withdraw its troops from Russian-occupied regions, including Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, said a current Russian official.

Moscow claims that the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions are Russian territory despite not fully controlling any of them.

Moscow is bent on solidifying control over these regions at any cost, as Putin cannot politically afford to abandon them after enshrining their status in the Constitution, a Kremlin-linked official said.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/03/23/playing-for-time-what-the-kremlin-wan ts-in-new-talks-with-the-us-on-ukraine-a88445

--- BBBS/LiR v4.10 Toy-7
* Origin: Ukraine News from various sources (2:263/1)