(MOSCOW) – Russian state media reacted dismissively on Tuesday to calls from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a move towards peace in Ukraine, with the Kremlin insisting it remains on a path to military victory.
Speaking on Monday, Prime Minister Modi urged the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to seek an end to the conflict. “Every day that the war continues, humanity is set back a step, whilst every step towards peace gives all of humanity real hope,” Modi said, according to Komsomolskaya Pravda.
The Russian dictator responded with a vague assurance that Russia is “moving along this path.” Kremlin watchers noted that such language offers no concrete commitment, and current battlefield evidence suggests Moscow still believes time favours its military campaign.
Kremlin dismisses diplomatic initiatives
Kommersant reported that Moscow’s “extremely restrained” reaction to peace signals from Washington and Ankara stems from a conviction that intensified strikes on Ukrainian military industrial facilities and critical infrastructure are working in Russia’s favour.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a Trump Putin Zelenskyy peace summit without conditions first being agreed at diplomatic level. The newspaper noted Moscow has made clear it believes it has “every opportunity for a military victory” if talks do not resume.
Moskovsky Komsomolets omitted Modi’s remarks entirely, instead reporting that Russian forces are continuing an air campaign of “unprecedented intensity” against Kyiv, military infrastructure and Ukrainian energy facilities.
State media downplays peace prospects
Government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta offered only a brief mention of Modi’s comments, stating that he “said it was necessary to resolve all problems peacefully and called for movement precisely in this direction.”
Izvestia led not on peace prospects but on Putin, Xi and Modi appearing together at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, claiming the gathering demonstrates “the futility of sanctions pressure by the West.”
Arctic convoy anniversary omits Western allies
Rossiyskaya Gazeta also covered the 85th anniversary of the Arctic convoys that kept the Soviet Union supplied during the Second World War. The perilous sailings from Liverpool, Iceland and North America delivered tanks, fighter planes, fuel, food and ammunition.
In Arkhangelsk, Nikolai Patrushev, a powerful figure in Russia’s political system, marked the anniversary with a speech notably omitting any mention of Britain or other specific allied nations. Instead, Patrushev claimed “our former allies in the anti Hitler coalition actively support the Nazi regime in Ukraine” and that Western countries are “trying to undermine Russia’s economy and defence.”
Buckwheat over Bitcoin
Komsomolskaya Pravda’s lighter section offered a wry observation on Russian habits during crises, with analysts advising against getting carried away with Bitcoin and recommending a return to buckwheat instead, a traditional Russian staple stockpiled during uncertain times.
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