Putin's statements indicate that Russia has no intention of making territorial concessions, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Putin's statements signal that Russia is unwilling to make territorial concessions, ISW reports

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), statements from Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Kremlin officials indicate that Russia maintains "maximalist territorial ambitions and is unwilling to make territorial concessions."

This is reported by ISW.

Analysts note that Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Russian officials continue to reject the negotiation terms proposed by the United States, insisting that Ukraine relinquish territories not occupied by Russia.

In his address to the Federal Security Service board on February 27, Putin stated that Russia would continue to strengthen FSB operations in Donbas and the so-called "Novorossiya."

On February 27, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also claimed that Donbas and "Novorossiya" are "integral" parts of Russia.

The review indicates that Putin and other Russian officials previously defined the so-called "Novorossiya" as encompassing all of eastern and southern Ukraine (including Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Mykolaiv regions), although its precise borders are disputed even among Russian ultranationalists.

Putin has previously demanded that Ukraine surrender the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia regions, even though Russian troops do not occupy significant portions of Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia.

Putin and other Russian officials have regularly indicated that they seek territorial conquests beyond the administrative borders of these four illegally occupied regions.

"New official statements from Russia asserting that the fictional region of 'Novorossiya' is part of Russia indicate that Putin maintains his maximalist territorial ambitions and is unwilling to make territorial concessions," the report states.

The review notes that Russian troops currently occupy a small part of Kharkiv region and Kinburn Spit in Mykolaiv region, and are attempting to advance towards the border with Dnipropetrovsk region. The Kremlin may use the limited occupation of territory in these regions as a false premise to demand that Ukraine relinquish even more territory.

"ISW continues to assess that Putin remains uninterested in good-faith negotiations that require compromises, believing he can achieve his military objectives in the medium and long term," the report states.

Experts remind that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on February 26 that if Russia "makes maximalist demands, knowing they cannot be fulfilled," then the United States will recognize that Putin is not "serious" about engaging in negotiations.

U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated on February 26 that Russia would have to make concessions in peace negotiations, and repeated on February 27 that the United States "will certainly try to return as much (territory - ed.) as possible back (to Ukraine - ed.)."

"The Kremlin's directives to Russian state media regarding coverage of recent Russian-American meetings indicate Putin's determination to manipulate and divide the West," analysts concluded.

Key findings from ISW as of February 27:

• Putin and high-ranking Russian officials continue to reject U.S. conditions for negotiations and demand that Ukraine cede territories not occupied by Russia.
• The Kremlin's directives to Russian state media regarding coverage of recent Russian-American meetings demonstrate Putin’s resolve to manipulate U.S. President Donald Trump and divide the West.
• American and Russian delegations met in Istanbul, Turkey, on February 27 to continue discussions on U.S.-Russian bilateral diplomatic relations.
• Reports indicate that the Kremlin continues to push the United States to accept economic benefits unrelated to the war in Ukraine in exchange for concessions from Ukraine and the West related to the conflict.
• Reports indicate that North Korea has recently deployed additional troops to the Kursk region as it continues to expand its military capabilities through cooperation with Russia.
• Ukrainian troops have recently advanced near Toretsk and Pokrovsk, while Russian troops are active near Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, and Velyka Novosilka.