As negotiations continue, Russia is pushing a new narrative: that peace in Ukraine can be achieved if Kyiv cedes the Donbas. Yet this war was never just about territory. It has always been about destroying Ukrainian sovereignty.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Putin claimed his goal was to “denazify” the country, accusing Kyiv of genocide, fascism, and threatening ethnic Russians. But these lies were aimed at justifying regime change, not defending the Donbas.

Putin’s deeper aim? To erase Ukrainian identity, restore a “Russian world,” and block Ukraine from joining the West. Russian state media even claimed the war would return Ukraine to its “natural state” as part of Russia.

Russia’s war is about power, control, and erasing Ukraine’s independence. Giving up territory in the Donbas won’t bring peace — it would reward aggression. Read the full op-ed by @cjcmichel for @MoscowTimes