Official Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has made harsh new statements targeting Ukraine, justifying the Russian army's massive strikes and promising to ensure Kyiv never dares to plan retaliatory actions again. According to the Kremlin speaker, Ukraine will allegedly "have to pay a price" for its military steps in recent months, which is already happening through relentless shelling of Ukrainian critical and civilian infrastructure.
Statements on the "Price" and Escalation of Conflict
Peskov emphasized that Moscow intends to continue military pressure until Kyiv abandons attempts to strike facilities within Russian territory. Such rhetoric indicates that the Russian leadership has no plans to lower the level of escalation. Against the backdrop of these statements, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) note that the Kremlin is unlikely to agree to any proposals for an energy truce, relying instead on winter terror and long-range bombardments.
Contradictory Data
While Peskov claims the inevitability of "retribution" for Ukraine and asserts that Russia allegedly "does not strike everything in sight," official frontline reports and statements by international observers record widespread destruction of civilian objects. The Russian side insists on the targeted nature of the attacks, but facts point to the systematic destruction of Ukraine's energy system. Furthermore, on the Lyman direction, the situation for Russian troops is extremely poor: the Armed Forces of Ukraine successfully liberated several settlements, and over 250 Russian servicemen surrendered as entire units along with officers.
Prospects for Negotiations and the US Position
Commenting on potential peace talks, the Kremlin representative provided no specifics, making do with the routine phrase that the Russian leader had allegedly "spoken very exhaustively" on the topic earlier. Regarding dialogue with the United States, Peskov took a pragmatic stance, noting that resuming arms control talks was necessary "yesterday," though no real steps toward constructive dialogue are yet visible from Moscow.
