Putin fits hand-in-glove with this unfortunate standard.
Moscow’s manipulations turn the concept of peace upside down in an attempt to cover up Russia’s aggression and crimes. The Kremlin entertains proposals for peace or ceasefires to lure audiences with the hope for an end to immediate suffering. After all, who would not want peace?
Warning! Deception ahead
There is a reason to warn of deception: when aggression and imperialism have become defining features of a political ideology, as is the case in present-day Moscow, ceasefire or peace talks may at best be a ruse for ulterior political motives. At worst, the aggressor uses the respite from war to regroup and rearm before a new attack is launched.
Putin’s call-in performance on 19 December 2024 was another demonstration of how he is hijacking the word ‘peace’ to describe a situation where only the demands of Moscow are met. In this understanding, ‘peace’ amounts to Ukraine’s surrender as a state, as a cultural and political identity, and its subjugation to the will of Russia. Or else…
That is not a lasting and just peace. To re-phrase Clausewitz: Peace negotiations are a continuation of war with other means.
What history shows
We have tracked the so-called peace initiatives coming from Russian leaders in recent years.
These accelerated at the end of 2021 after the threatening massing of military units around Ukraine poised for a full-scale invasion. Two so-called treaty proposals were put forward: a ‘Treaty on Security Guarantees’ and an ‘Agreement on Measures to Ensure the Security of the Russian Federation’. They reflected a set of maximalist demands inconceivable for Ukraine, the US, and all NATO members, inter alia a roll-back of NATO to a pre-1997 situation. Effectively, a licence for Russian imperialism to roam freely.
The more destruction, the louder the peace claims
As the full-scale invasion began in 2022 and Russian forces pressed on across Ukraine wreaking wanton destruction, Putin spoke about negotiations and peace. Since then, Moscow has re-packaged the same demands at various intervals, depending on the situation on the frontlines. Whenever Ukraine forced Russian units to retreat, the world could see what Russian ‘liberation’ truly looked like – murdered civilians, deportation, torture, and destruction.
After the first year of full war, in February 2023, Putin launched into a two-hour tirade pretending to want peace. At the same time, Russia escalated its war against Ukraine with heavier weapons and more destruction of civilian infrastructure. This was accompanied by PR stunts to appropriate and own the peace narrative. The goal is to confuse global audiences about who is the attacker and who is the attacked.
Putin and the Russian authorities are in a race against time hoping that Ukraine will break before Russia runs out of resources. As a seasoned KGB operator, Putin puts on his best face of confidence hoping nobody will discover the abyss into which he is pushing Russia. Meanwhile, be prepared for more siren songs from the Kremlin.
Work for a just peace and don’t be deceived!
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