Russia-Ukraine war: Clashing demands, absent peacemaker

Could there ever be a lasting ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war?

Since the conflict began, many world leaders have called for peace talks.

While these calls are generally welcomed, they are often seen as biased, as most of the nations pushing for peace, particularly European countries, are perceived to be indirectly involved in the war by Russia.

Many of these same countries continue to supply weapons to Ukraine, helping to sustain the very conflict they claim to want to end.

Russia, on its part, has expressed a willingness to end the war but insists that certain conditions must be met to guarantee peace.

These demands, however, have been dismissed by most Western nations, who have instead imposed economic sanctions on Russia. Yet, these sanctions appear to be less effective than expected.

When the US President assumed office, he brokered a temporary ceasefire deal, fulfilling his campaign promise to seek an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

This was widely celebrated by peace advocates across the world.

Ukraine, though eager for a ceasefire, finds itself in a difficult position.

It remains unclear whether it can make such a decision independently or must first consult its Western allies, particularly European leaders.

Although Ukraine has its own demands for ending the war, Russia has rejected them.

The entrenched positions on both sides have left little room for neutral nations to mediate.

Rearm Ukraine

Some security experts believe that the 30-day ceasefire deal secured by US President Donald Trump could be exploited by European nations to rearm Ukraine’s forces, which have suffered heavy casualties.

One European scholar who has consistently criticised Europe’s role in prolonging the conflict is Professor Glenn Diesen of the University of Southeastern Norway.

Prof. Diesen, who regularly expresses his views on his X account, has been vocal about the need for diplomacy over military escalation.

In a recent post, he warned, “Europe and Ukraine want a ceasefire, and only after that are they ready to discuss a settlement of the conflict.

Russia wants a political settlement first because the Europeans and Kiev have no reason to make concessions if the fighting stops.

Moscow believes that Brussels will instead use the ceasefire to rearm Ukraine."

Prof. Diesen has made it clear that his stance comes from a place of concern for Ukraine. On May 26, 2025, he posted: “At this point, it should be noted that I consider myself a friend of Ukraine.

I have warned against war in Ukraine for the past 20 years, and I have obviously not supported the invasion of Ukraine.”

He believes NATO’s eastward expansion is a key trigger of the conflict, comparing it to how the West would react if Russia established military bases in Mexico.

“Russia considers NATO expansion an existential threat and responds based on these convictions, irrespective of NATO not agreeing with Russia’s threat assessments.

I therefore argue for diplomacy and against sending weapons, as it will only escalate the war, destroy Ukraine, and take us closer to nuclear war,” he explained.

Reaffirm

European leaders have recently reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Ukraine's military.

A joint statement by the Foreign Ministers of Britain, Spain, Italy, Poland, France, Germany and the EU declared:

“We have agreed to work with Ukraine on initiatives to strengthen the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replenish stocks of ammunition and military equipment, and further strengthen production capacities.”

Meanwhile, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has accused European politicians of preventing the conflict from ending.

In an interview with Neue Zürcher Zeitung, he stated,

"European politicians are not allowing the conflict in Ukraine to end, fearing the consequences of their decisions.

It is very good that Russia and America are now talking directly to each other."

He added, “European politicians have chosen the wrong strategy.

This has created problems for their population in their daily lives, and when it ends, it will have consequences for these politicians.”

The Russia-Ukraine war has become a complex geopolitical battle with no neutral arbiter in sight, leaving peace as elusive as ever.