Not sure what is so hard to believe. The Kremlin always gets its way, no matter what it takes. Its own citizens can eat a dick without salt, for all the politicians care. The rats sitting in the Rada in Kiev can also go fuck themselves. Ukraine's VSU is a joke.
I already wrote this before, but I can't stress it enough, there is one golden rule in RF diplomacy : to never reveal their true negotation goals during meetings.
At least one RF delegation member is always going to quietly leave the room during the meeting, and head straight to the Russian Embassy in order to immediately report to his superiors in Moscow, using encrypted communication channels.
Embassies are LEGALLY allowed to have secret communication channels. Strategic towns such as Brussels, New-York, Vienna, Berlin etc. are obviously all "Spook -Central" locations. If you ever interwcted with a Russian journalist working around those towns or any clerk loosely connected to the RF Embassy/Consulate, then congrats, you've 100% met an intel case officer....
If you don't believe me, just look at the number of high-powered antennas sitting on Embassy's rooftops, located in key towns on Google Earth.....
You'll never truly know what they actually need or want from a war or a conflict. But they will get it....