On Sunday, 12 October, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski criticized Russian Foreign Minister Dmitry Peskov’s claim that Russia seeks peace while Europe refuses action over the Ukraine war.
Sikorski Rebukes Peskov’s Peace Claim
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, speaking on Sunday 12 October, blasted Russian Foreign Minister Dmitry Peskov’s assertion that Russia is ready for a peaceful settlement of the war in Ukraine while Europe remains inert.
Sikorski pointed out a logical flaw he sees in the Kremlin’s narrative, arguing that “Russia is conducting a peaceful invasion and bombing Ukraine, while Ukrainian and European Nazis provoke war by daring to resist,” writing the statement with biting irony.
Kremlin’s Peace Propaganda Purposes
In 2024 the State Institute of International Affairs labeled the Kremlin’s statements “Russian peace propaganda,” describing their pretended willingness to end the Ukraine war as a tactic to postpone sanctions or craft a favourable image on the international stage.
According to analyst Agnieszka Legucka, staged negotiations would grant Russia time to militarise occupied Ukrainian territory and prepare for another assault, while the Russians view negotiations as a path to full victory in Ukraine.
Putin Violates 30‑Day Ceasefire
The United States had suggested a ceasefire in Ukraine, which Kyiv accepted but Moscow rejected. In March 2024 the first step toward peace was agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, a 30‑day pause that Putin supported only to break within an hour.
Russia struck energy infrastructure in the Slavic region, leaving half the city without power. Ukrainian parliamentarian Inna Sovsun dismissed the attack as not shocking, saying, “Shocking? Absolutely not.”
