Second bottom of Putin's declaration. “This war is not only against Ukraine”
Ukrainian officials stated that if Putin did not meet with Wołodylyski Zelnski in Turkey, it would be a sign that Moscow has no intention of ending the war. For now, the Kremlin has not informed who he intends to send to Istanbul, but he said that Moscow “is still preparing for talks.”
Experts and analysts warn that Putin's declarations are hidden in the second bottom and that he does not mean the end of the war. They claim that He proposed negotiations for a reason – they will be on his hand. They will help him change the rules of the game in his favor.
This is evidenced by the fact that the Russian president proposed negotiations after Kiev and several European countries called for full and unconditional suspension of weapons for 30 days from Monday. Russia did not respond to this call.
– Russian spokesmen have repeatedly repeated that the usual suspension of weapons would give Ukraine a military advantage, because it could use a break to build fortifications, safe production and import of weapons and to mobilize – says Aleksander Baunov, a senior researcher at Think Tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
He claims that for a reason Russia proposed talks without stopping fights – because thanks to this “the” Russian army will continue the offensive on the front and bombard the back of Ukraine, strengthening the diplomatic pressure by military force. “
At the same time, this move is to calm both domestic supporters of hard policy towards Ukraine and international skeptics. – The selected format allows Trump from the angry with the angry withdrawal. He announced that he would do it in the absence of cooperation between one or both sides. It is also to calm the internal situation, the army, foreign observers and finally the privan circles of Russian public opinion – notes Baunov.
– Emphasizing the fact that Russia only resumes interrupted conversations that took place in 2022 in Istanbul, best serves to maintain a balance between the compromise and the desire to fight, between legitimacy and power – he adds.
A real goal – talks with the USA
Tatiana Standa, the founder and head of the R.Politik political analysis project, claims that the Russian proposal about taking direct conversations should not be considered a change in Moscow's strategy or a sign that Putin wants to enter into an agreement with Zelanski.
“Its purpose is to delay the supply of weapons [do Ukrainy] from the west, weakening of Zelanski's position and exacerbation of the internal instability of Ukraine. He also wants Kiev to abolish conversations with the Russians, which would allow them to have wider actions in Ukraine, “she wrote on X.
“He does not even believe for a moment that Kiev in its current state can agree to Russia's conditions,” she added.
A similar opinion has the former Russian diplomat Borys Bondariew, who in the act of protest against the Russian invasion gave up the function of a Russian representative at the UN in Geneva.
“It is important to understand that Putin does not need negotiations with Zelanski. This war is not above all directed against Ukraine, but rather against the United States through Ukraine – this is the fight against the US global domination,” – he wrote on X.
“That's why Putin is not interested in negotiations with Zelanski, he really wants to talk to Trump. But not just any conversations – those in which Trump will agree to the new world order in which Putin's influence zone will be similar to the size of the former Warsaw Pact, “he wrote, referring to the Treaty on Collective Defense to be a counterweight to the Eastern Bloc for NATO.
“In this way” negotiations with Ukraine “are only a means aimed at famining Washington's judgment and keep the aging Donald in the illusion that” Putin wants peace “” – added Bondariew.
“Smart movement of Zelanski”
Some Russians supporting the war – usually belonging to the most ardent skeptics of all negotiations – also expressed doubts about Putin's proposals regarding peace conversations with Ukraine.
Igor Girkin, a key commander of the pro -Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine in 2014, who is currently in prison, said that “every meeting with Zelanski would be catastrophic – both for Vladimir Vladimirowicz [Putina]and for the negotiating position of the Russian Federation. “
“Zełnski made a very clever move, putting Moscow in an extremely unfavorable situation,” said Girkin, referring to the proposal of the Ukrainian president to meet with the Roman leader in person in Istanbul.
– Putin himself, as well as people around him, have repeatedly declared that Zelanski has no legitimacy and claimed that there was no one in Kiev who could be negotiated with. Withdrawal from this position would be extremely difficult – said Girkin.
– Refusal to negotiate, however, would not improve the situation of the Russian Federation, because the global media – and not only the media – would interpret it as evidence that Russia itself proposed negotiations and then sabotaging them. This would have all the expected consequences, including exacerbation of sanctions, increasing support for Ukraine and intensification of activities against Russia – he added.
