Kremlin to base territorial talks on fabricated front line, ISW says

Kremlin officials at talks in the UAE reiterated maximalist demands for Ukraine's full capitulation and territorial concessions beyond Donbas, according to an ISW analysis. Moscow plans to base future territorial negotiations on a fabricated front line. Medinsky stated every land where Russian soldiers stepped belongs to Russia, rejecting territorial exchanges. Lavrov reaffirmed Putin's June 2024 demands, including Ukrainian withdrawal from four regions and demilitarization. Russian officials allegedly presented a false front line to US and Ukrainian delegations. ISW notes Russia regularly publishes false claims of territorial gains, including unverified captures. Analysts predict Moscow will escalate exaggerated statements through winter 2026-2027, hoping a destructive strike campaign breaks Ukraine's will and establishes its fabricated front line as a negotiation baseline.