The Kremlin is stepping up efforts to pressure the United States to take steps regarding the war in Ukraine that would benefit Russia. Part of the strategy includes blaming Washington for Moscow's failure to meaningfully engage in peace talks. This is stated in an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), reports News.bg.
Russian representatives are intensifying their messages aimed at the Donald Trump administration, aiming to end support for Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in an extensive interview with the Hungarian channel Ultrahang, published on October 26, said that the Kremlin is ready to cooperate with the United States to end the war based on previous discussions before the bilateral meeting in Alaska in August 2025. At the same time, he accused the Trump administration of withdrawing from the negotiations.
Lavrov claims that President Vladimir Putin remains open to meeting with Trump, but that Moscow will wait for the initiative to come from the American side. In this way, the minister is trying to shift the blame for the lack of progress, presenting Russia as a country ready for compromise and accusing Washington of blocking the peace process.
In addition, Lavrov once again criticized European countries, accusing them of impeding peace by putting pressure on the Trump administration. He reiterated the Kremlin's demands that Ukraine not join NATO and hinted that Kiev was using the peace talks to buy time before Russia seizes new territories.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented that there were "timid efforts" to improve relations between the United States and Russia, but there was no concrete progress. Russian officials, including Alexey Chepa, first deputy chairman of the State Duma's International Relations Committee, have stressed that pressure from Ukraine is forcing Washington to change its position on the war.
Nuclear demonstrations and veiled threats
Russia continues its efforts in the field of nuclear weapons after Trump rejected Russia's test of the „Burevestnik“ missile. On October 27, Trump said that Putin should end the war instead of testing a nuclear-powered missile, recalling that the United States has a nuclear submarine near Russia that "doesn't have to travel 8,000 miles."
In response, Peskov noted that the test should not strain bilateral relations, as they are already "at a minimum level."
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev congratulated "friends of Russia" on the successful test of the "Burevestnik" on his X platform profile, using the tone of a threat to Moscow's opponents.
Kremlin officials have issued subtle warnings that the missiles could reach "anywhere in North America" if the US supplies Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles. The chairman of the State Duma's defense committee, Andrei Kartapolov, said that "it will be too late" by the time Europe "realizes" the potential of the "Burevestnik."
These demonstrations and veiled nuclear threats are part of a broader Kremlin campaign to force concessions from the US on Ukraine. Similar attempts were made in November 2024 after the test of the „Oreshnik“ ballistic missile, but they did not achieve the desired effect.
The situation on the front around Pokrovsk
The fighting around Pokrovsk remains dynamic. Geolocated video footage from October 27 shows that Russian forces have advanced to the west of the city.
Ukrainian sources report permeable front lines and the use of infiltration missions by Russia. A Ukrainian platoon commander in the area said that about 200 Russian soldiers were in Pokrovsk, where the fighting was taking place.
Hybrid actions from Belarusian airspace
During the same period, balloons coming from Belarus violated Lithuanian airspace, leading to a temporary suspension of operations at Vilnius Airport on the night of October 26-27.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginenė confirmed that this was the third consecutive day and the fourth time this week that balloons coming from Belarusian airspace had forced Lithuanian authorities to halt flights.
Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovich said that the border with Belarus would remain closed indefinitely, although the measure would not to affect Lithuanian citizens, EU citizens and diplomats.
Ruginene stressed that Lithuanian forces will take all necessary actions to neutralize these balloons in order to “send a signal to Belarus that Lithuania will not tolerate hybrid attacks“.
“Phase Zero“: Russian Psychological Preparation Strategy
According to ISW, Russia is increasingly actively involved in covert and overt attacks against Europe. The ongoing airspace violations and other unconventional actions are seen as part of the so-called “Phase Zero“ – stage of information and psychological preparation for a possible future conflict between NATO and Russia.
The institute notes that Belarus acts as a de facto ally of Moscow in the war in Ukraine, and its actions in NATO airspace follow the same strategic line within the framework of “Phase Zero“.