SOFREP Morning Brief: Putin Proposes ‘Direct Talks’ With Ukraine, Hegseth Eliminates Race Considerations For Admission to Service Academies, North Korea and Russia Flaunt Alliance

Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly called for direct peace talks with Ukraine, proposing they take place in Istanbul on May 15, 2025. He emphasized that these talks should happen “without any preconditions,” extending an open invitation to the Ukrainian government. The timing of Putin’s offer is no accident—it came just hours after Ukraine, along with France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland, called for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting Monday. That ceasefire proposal has the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump, and European leaders have warned of fresh sanctions against Moscow if it’s rejected.

Putin is framing his peace offer as a rational and constructive step in contrast to what he calls “Western ultimatums” and “hostile rhetoric.” He claims it wasn’t Russia that walked away from negotiations in 2022, but rather Kyiv, and now he’s extending an olive branch to get talks back on track. According to the Kremlin, the goal of the meeting would be to address the “root causes” of the war, which from Moscow’s point of view include NATO’s expansion and broader regional security concerns.

While Putin hasn’t directly responded to the proposed 30-day ceasefire, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia supports a ceasefire “in principle” but noted that there are still “many questions” about the current proposal. Importantly, Putin stopped short of agreeing to the ceasefire demanded by Ukraine and its allies.

On the Ukrainian side, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he’s open to negotiations—but only once a ceasefire is in place. Meanwhile, the West is keeping up the pressure, warning of more sanctions and offering military support to Ukraine if Russia doesn’t comply.

This wouldn’t be the first time talks were held in Istanbul—back in March 2022, direct negotiations between the two sides broke down without a resolution. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the war has left tens of thousands dead and displaced millions. Now, with two sides still far apart on what peace should look like, the world is watching to see if this latest offer leads to anything more than political posturing.

SECDEF Hegseth Eliminates Race Considerations For Admission to Service Academies

On May 9, 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a major shift in military education policy by banning the use of race, ethnicity, and sex in admissions at all U.S. military service academies. This includes West Point, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy.

The new directive puts an end to affirmative action across the board, going even further than the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling, which had allowed a narrow exception for military academies on national security grounds. Hegseth made it clear that from now on, admissions decisions must be based strictly on merit—things like athletic ability, prior military service, or how well someone performs at a service academy prep school are allowed to factor in, but demographic traits are not.

He argued that anything less than a pure merit-based system hurts military readiness and weakens the culture of excellence. Service branches have 30 days to certify they’re in compliance, and the change will apply starting with the 2026 admissions cycle. As part of a broader push, Hegseth also ordered all military academic libraries to remove any books or materials tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The message remains loud and clear—he’s dismantling DEI across the Department of Defense and leaving no room for interpretation.

MEMO to: @WestPoint_USMA @NavalAcademy & @af_academy

ALL FUTURE ADMISSIONS will be “exclusively on merit.”

“Race, ethnicity, or sex” can NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED.

Our officers will be the best of the best—full stop. pic.twitter.com/XAE0QzxLHP

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) May 9, 2025

Russia and North Korea Flaunt Their Alliance For Propaganda Purposes

After months of dodging and denying, Russia and North Korea are no longer hiding their military cooperation. In fact, they’re now flaunting it. Both countries have publicly confirmed that North Korean troops are fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. What was once a closely guarded secret is now front-page news in Moscow and Pyongyang—and it’s all by design. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are openly praising the “heroic feats” of these foreign soldiers, turning their alliance into a centerpiece of state propaganda.

State-run media outlets in both nations have shifted into high gear, glorifying their newfound military camaraderie. In Russia, reports out of the Kursk region highlight joint operations with North Korean units, presenting their collaboration as proof that the West has failed to isolate either country. Over in North Korea, the war in Ukraine is being called a “sacred mission,” and Kim has even ordered monuments built to honor his fallen countrymen. Putin, not to be outdone, promised to recognize North Korean troops as equals to Russian soldiers, reinforcing the narrative of a brotherhood forged in battle.

This messaging serves multiple strategic purposes. First, it’s about legitimizing their partnership—two rogue regimes standing shoulder-to-shoulder against Western pressure. Second, it’s a direct shot across the bow at the United States and its allies. By highlighting North Korea’s presence on the battlefield, Russia is sending a signal: it’s not isolated, and it’s got allies willing to bleed for its cause. Kremlin spokespeople have leaned into this, touting the alliance as a “strategic success” that undermines Western efforts to contain Moscow.

For both regimes, the propaganda isn’t just for outside consumption—it’s also aimed at their own people. Domestic audiences in Russia and North Korea are being fed a steady diet of stories about valor, sacrifice, and the righteousness of their cause. Meanwhile, this public acknowledgment of military cooperation is being used as a diplomatic lever. For Putin, it’s a way to gain the upper hand in any future negotiations over Ukraine. For Kim, it bolsters his bargaining position in talks with the U.S., especially concerning his nuclear program. North Korea’s willingness to shed blood for Russia, he believes, should command a higher price at the international table.

Interestingly, this wasn’t always the message. In the early days, both countries flat-out denied North Korean involvement. Russian media mocked Western reports, calling them fantasy and propaganda. But once captured North Korean soldiers and mounting evidence became too much to ignore, the strategy shifted. Now, rather than hiding it, they’re leaning in—hard. That pivot from denial to celebration was a calculated move to maximize the psychological impact and turn a liability into a weapon.

What we’re seeing is a classic information warfare play: confuse your enemy, deny the truth until it’s useful, then unleash the full weight of state propaganda to reshape the narrative. In this case, Russia and North Korea have turned a risky military arrangement into a powerful symbol of resistance, unity, and shared defiance. And they’re using it to try and rewrite the story—not just of the war in Ukraine, but of their place in the global order.