“It does seem like they want peace,” one person close to the talks said of the Russians. Russia’s political demands include a ban on Ukrainian nationalism and a guarantee Ukraine will not join NATO. And it will be very difficult for us to defend ourselves.”Analysts said Russia and Ukraine remained far apart on the issue of security guarantees. Stanovaya said this proposal was a sign Russia does not support elections in Ukraine unless it can control them and orchestrate Zelensky’s removal. At the same time, Russia has been pressing constantly during the talks to divert the U.S. delegation toward negotiations on other bilateral matters.

Source: Washington Post February 17, 2026 23:15 UTC