In Moscow, a new round of escalating rhetoric has begun regarding negotiations on Ukraine, which is likely an attempt to pressure the West into making concessions on Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). During the week, two high-ranking Russian officials made statements regarding the Kremlin’s readiness for negotiations on Ukraine. In a press release from the Russian Ministry of Defense about a conversation between the head of the department, Sergey Shoigu, and his French counterpart, Sebastien Lecornu, it was stated that there…