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Just now
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that
On November 13, 2025, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that due to a lack of results, Ukraine would at least stop peace negotiations with Russia before the end of this year.
To put it bluntly, after sitting down to talk with Russia round after round, Ukraine has gained not even a bit of tangible benefit; anyone would feel disheartened and let go.
What is most distressing is the issue of prisoner exchanges, which is the most basic humanitarian bottom line on the battlefield, yet it has become a bargaining chip in a tug-of-war.
In the third round of negotiations in July this year, both sides clearly agreed to exchange 1,200 captured personnel. The families of the soldiers were eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones; some waited at the village entrance for news, while others wiped their photos over and over again.
But now, the actual number returned is less than 360 people, not even reaching 30% of the total, and the remaining nearly 840 prisoners of war still do not know how long they will have to endure in the POW camps. What is even more disheartening is that in May this year, there was an absurd case where 909 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers were exchanged for 34 bodies of Russian soldiers. This is not an exchange; it is clearly a one-sided compromise. How can Ukraine not feel frustrated?
Previously, in April and May, there were several large-scale exchanges, one of which involved 538 people, and another completed a thousand-person exchange plan, but those are all in the past now. Currently, the Russian side has not shown even a hint of sincerity, and the promises made are immediately dismissed. What is the point of such negotiations?
Moreover, the rounds of negotiations this year have purely been a waste of time. In May, direct negotiations resumed in Turkey but ended after just two hours. As soon as the Russian side opened its mouth, it demanded that the Ukrainian forces withdraw from places like Donetsk and Luhansk. Isn’t this clearly asking Ukraine to cede territory?
Ukraine certainly cannot agree, and the result is naturally that nothing was accomplished. In the second round of negotiations in June, they finally agreed to exchange heavily wounded soldiers and young soldiers, even scheduling a 6,000 for 6,000 exchange of bodies, but there was no progress on the core issue of a ceasefire. After the talks, both delegations simply left.
After the third round of talks in July, aside from the unfulfilled agreement to exchange 1,200 prisoners, there was no substantial content whatsoever. In October, the U.S. Vice President said there was progress in mediation, but it was all just empty talk; the Russian side has not budged on the territorial issue, and Ukraine cannot possibly give up its territory. Is this negotiation just going around in circles?
In fact, the deadlock at the negotiating table is a reflection of the battlefield situation. On November 11, the Ukrainian General Staff just reported that there were 265 battles in one day at the front, with 170,000 Russian troops gathering towards Pokrovsk, surrounding it tightly, while the Ukrainian forces can only hide in underground positions and hold on. With fierce fighting on one side, what good outcomes can there be at the negotiation table?
The Russian side believes it has the upper hand on the battlefield and is naturally unwilling to make concessions; although the Ukrainian forces are fighting hard, they still have the backing of Western assistance. On November 5, the European Union just approved 1.8 billion euros in aid, and the UK sent missiles capable of striking 250 kilometers. Since there is still hope in fighting, why should they suffer losses at the negotiating table?
What is even more despairing is that the negotiations have not brought peace, yet the lives of ordinary people are becoming more and more difficult. Kyiv now faces daily air raids, and on November 8, even all the thermal power plants were bombed and shut down. In the dead of winter, with no electricity and no heating, the elderly and children are shivering from the cold.
The United Nations has reported that over the years of fighting, more than 1,600 schools and nearly 790 hospitals have been destroyed. How many children are unable to go to school, and how many patients have no place to seek treatment?
In Kherson and Donetsk, people die daily from attacks; on November 9 alone, three civilians were killed, and 18 others were injured. When these accounts are added up, how can Ukraine not be anxious?
If negotiations could stop the shelling and allow ordinary people to have electricity, even concessions would be worth it; but now, after talking for so long, the bombings continue, and those who suffer continue to suffer. Isn’t this negotiation a waste of effort?
On the Russian side, they even blame Ukraine, saying that Ukraine lacks sincerity for peace, but it is clear that they treat negotiations as a facade. On the 12th, a Russian official in Turkey even claimed, "We can talk anytime," but when it comes to the table, they either propose harsh conditions or fail to fulfill promises. Who would believe such verbal sincerity?
Zahrova also said that Ukraine has violated the exchange agreement, but the fact that only 30% of the 1,200 people have been exchanged is undeniable. The return of nearly 840 prisoners of war has been blocked. Who lacks sincerity?
Ultimately, Ukraine has stopped negotiations because it has seen through: negotiating with an insincere opponent is not as good as putting efforts into the battlefield. After more than half a year of talks, with no territory reclaimed, no prisoners exchanged, and no stable life for ordinary people, a lot of time and energy has been wasted. Rather than listening to empty words and feeling humiliated at the negotiating table, it is better to firmly hold the lines and strive for more tangible benefits.
After all, for Ukraine, peace cannot be talked into existence; it must be earned through strength. If even the bottom line of negotiations cannot be upheld, that would truly be a disservice to the sacrificed soldiers and the suffering civilians. This is not about not wanting peace; it’s that such negotiations cannot bring peace. It is better to pause and wait until there is truly capital for negotiation.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that
On November 13, 2025, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that due to a lack of results, Ukraine would at least stop peace negotiations with Russia before the end of this year.
To put it bluntly, after sitting down to talk with Russia round after round, Ukraine has gained not even a bit of tangible benefit; anyone would feel disheartened and let go.
What is most distressing is the issue of prisoner exchanges, which is the most basic humanitarian bottom line on the battlefield, yet it has become a bargaining chip in a tug-of-war.
In the third round of negotiations in July this year, both sides clearly agreed to exchange 1,200 captured personnel. The families of the soldiers were eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones; some waited at the village entrance for news, while others wiped their photos over and over again.
But now, the actual number returned is less than 360 people, not even reaching 30% of the total, and the remaining nearly 840 prisoners of war still do not know how long they will have to endure in the POW camps. What is even more disheartening is that in May this year, there was an absurd case where 909 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers were exchanged for 34 bodies of Russian soldiers. This is not an exchange; it is clearly a one-sided compromise. How can Ukraine not feel frustrated?
Previously, in April and May, there were several large-scale exchanges, one of which involved 538 people, and another completed a thousand-person exchange plan, but those are all in the past now. Currently, the Russian side has not shown even a hint of sincerity, and the promises made are immediately dismissed. What is the point of such negotiations?
Moreover, the rounds of negotiations this year have purely been a waste of time. In May, direct negotiations resumed in Turkey but ended after just two hours. As soon as the Russian side opened its mouth, it demanded that the Ukrainian forces withdraw from places like Donetsk and Luhansk. Isn’t this clearly asking Ukraine to cede territory?
Ukraine certainly cannot agree, and the result is naturally that nothing was accomplished. In the second round of negotiations in June, they finally agreed to exchange heavily wounded soldiers and young soldiers, even scheduling a 6,000 for 6,000 exchange of bodies, but there was no progress on the core issue of a ceasefire. After the talks, both delegations simply left.
After the third round of talks in July, aside from the unfulfilled agreement to exchange 1,200 prisoners, there was no substantial content whatsoever. In October, the U.S. Vice President said there was progress in mediation, but it was all just empty talk; the Russian side has not budged on the territorial issue, and Ukraine cannot possibly give up its territory. Is this negotiation just going around in circles?
In fact, the deadlock at the negotiating table is a reflection of the battlefield situation. On November 11, the Ukrainian General Staff just reported that there were 265 battles in one day at the front, with 170,000 Russian troops gathering towards Pokrovsk, surrounding it tightly, while the Ukrainian forces can only hide in underground positions and hold on. With fierce fighting on one side, what good outcomes can there be at the negotiation table?
The Russian side believes it has the upper hand on the battlefield and is naturally unwilling to make concessions; although the Ukrainian forces are fighting hard, they still have the backing of Western assistance. On November 5, the European Union just approved 1.8 billion euros in aid, and the UK sent missiles capable of striking 250 kilometers. Since there is still hope in fighting, why should they suffer losses at the negotiating table?
What is even more despairing is that the negotiations have not brought peace, yet the lives of ordinary people are becoming more and more difficult. Kyiv now faces daily air raids, and on November 8, even all the thermal power plants were bombed and shut down. In the dead of winter, with no electricity and no heating, the elderly and children are shivering from the cold.
The United Nations has reported that over the years of fighting, more than 1,600 schools and nearly 790 hospitals have been destroyed. How many children are unable to go to school, and how many patients have no place to seek treatment?
In Kherson and Donetsk, people die daily from attacks; on November 9 alone, three civilians were killed, and 18 others were injured. When these accounts are added up, how can Ukraine not be anxious?
If negotiations could stop the shelling and allow ordinary people to have electricity, even concessions would be worth it; but now, after talking for so long, the bombings continue, and those who suffer continue to suffer. Isn’t this negotiation a waste of effort?
On the Russian side, they even blame Ukraine, saying that Ukraine lacks sincerity for peace, but it is clear that they treat negotiations as a facade. On the 12th, a Russian official in Turkey even claimed, "We can talk anytime," but when it comes to the table, they either propose harsh conditions or fail to fulfill promises. Who would believe such verbal sincerity?
Zahrova also said that Ukraine has violated the exchange agreement, but the fact that only 30% of the 1,200 people have been exchanged is undeniable. The return of nearly 840 prisoners of war has been blocked. Who lacks sincerity?
Ultimately, Ukraine has stopped negotiations because it has seen through: negotiating with an insincere opponent is not as good as putting efforts into the battlefield. After more than half a year of talks, with no territory reclaimed, no prisoners exchanged, and no stable life for ordinary people, a lot of time and energy has been wasted. Rather than listening to empty words and feeling humiliated at the negotiating table, it is better to firmly hold the lines and strive for more tangible benefits.
After all, for Ukraine, peace cannot be talked into existence; it must be earned through strength. If even the bottom line of negotiations cannot be upheld, that would truly be a disservice to the sacrificed soldiers and the suffering civilians. This is not about not wanting peace; it’s that such negotiations cannot bring peace. It is better to pause and wait until there is truly capital for negotiation.
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