By Xhabir Deralla
The Russian tyrant and war criminal Vladimir Putin remains relentlessly on the stage of global manipulation—never stepping down, never changing the script, only shifting the mask. One of his latest performance was pretending to seek “unconditional” ceasefire talks. He even floated the idea of direct negotiations in Istanbul. But, true to form, it was another calculated act of deceit.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine arrived in Istanbul, prepared for serious dialogue. Putin, unsurprisingly, did not. Instead, he sent a powerless functionary—someone with no authority to decide anything, while Russian missiles once again rained down on Ukrainian cities. Civilians were killed. Homes destroyed. Infrastructure shattered. So much for peace.
Then came a two-hour call between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. According to Trump, Putin is “ready to end the war.” But Kremlin rhetoric quickly returned to its familiar refrain: before any peace, the “root causes” (Russian: коренные причины) must be addressed. In plain language, that means Ukraine must surrender, NATO must retreat, and Russia must be allowed to redraw Europe’s borders with impunity.
It is mafia diplomacy. Threats disguised as terms. Violence masked as reason.
Putin has been playing this game for decades. Say “peace,” mean war. Offer “negotiations,” deliver bombs. Speak in platitudes while perpetrating war crimes. His so-called peace initiatives are not roadmaps to resolution—they are propaganda weapons, deployed to stall, confuse, divide, and erode the West’s resolve.
And yet, every time he invokes the word “peace,” a few global voices pause. Some still cling to the fantasy that this time, he might mean it. He doesn’t. He never has. He never will.
This is the same man responsible for the mass abduction of over 20,000 Ukrainian children. The same regime that shells maternity hospitals, massacres civilians, and deliberately targets energy infrastructure. This isn’t just a war for territory—it’s a genocidal campaign aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity, language, and statehood.
Putin’s regime is not a government—it’s a criminal syndicate cloaked in military uniforms and state propaganda. In Russia today, truth is illegal, dissent is criminal, and peace is a lie told with a straight face. Russian society has been drenched in toxic nationalism, militarism, and a blood-soaked cult of violence—turning godless savagery into state-driven gospel.
When Putin says “unconditional,” he means: give me everything. Let me keep what I’ve stolen. Let me rewrite history. Let me win.
This charade must end!
Words are weapons in Putin’s hands. He doesn’t use language to build peace—he uses it to demolish its very meaning. His version of “dialogue” is a trap. His negotiations are stalls for time while he reloads. His diplomacy is a blunt instrument to crush resistance.
It is mafia diplomacy. Threats disguised as terms. Violence masked as reason.
Watch now as the Kremlin’s echo chambers and foreign apologists spring into action. They’ll say: “Ukraine should engage.” “Putin is making an effort.” “The West must compromise.” All of it carefully crafted to blur the moral line between invader and defender. This is the Kremlin’s oldest trick: fake balance, false parity, fabricated narratives.
But the truth is not complicated.
Real peace begins with a full withdrawal of Russian forces—from every inch of Ukraine, including Crimea and the Donbas. It requires reparations for the devastation. It demands justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity. These are not lofty ideals. They are the minimum requirements of decency and international law.
As Roger Casale, former British MP, told me: “There is no such thing as good news from Putin – only fake news.” He is right. This latest charade was timed to counter the strengthening of Ukraine’s alliances—especially the powerful message sent during the May 10 summit of the Coalition of the Willing in Kyiv.
All the while, the killing continues. The missiles fly. The children remain missing.
Ukraine has done everything the international community asked. It gave up its nuclear weapons for security guarantees in 1994—guarantees that Russia tore to pieces. It has resisted with courage, defended international law, and stood as a shield for Europe’s security.
No nation wants peace more than Ukraine. But peace built on deception is no peace at all. It is submission in disguise. A ceasefire with no justice is just a pause before the next assault.
We must always remain open to peace—but not to lies. Not to manipulation. Not to the theater of war criminals.
Remember Bucha. Remember Mariupol. Remember the silence of deported children.
Putin is not a statesman. He is not a partner.
He is not a peacemaker.
He is a tyrant who has weaponized language, diplomacy, and death itself.
To believe otherwise is not naivety—it is complicity.
This is a political opinion column by Xhabir Deralla, based on ongoing analysis of Russian diplomacy, hybrid warfare, and disinformation narratives.
📚 Further Reading
From international institutions and key global sources:
- European Commission – EU Solidarity with Ukraine
- NATO – Relations with Ukraine
- Council of Europe – War in Ukraine
- European Parliament Resolution on Support to Ukraine
- Zelensky’s Documentation of Ceasefire Violations
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