Russia’s statements about readiness to start peace talks on Ukraine “cannot be trusted” as Moscow uses any respite for rearmament, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Joane said.
“Even if they (Russian authorities. – TMT) eventually start talking about peace, it will not be about peace as such, but about a ceasefire for rearmament and then return. It is very important for us to guarantee that Ukraine gets closer to NATO and the European Union”, Joane said in an interview with the British radio station LBC.
At the same time, the NATO representative emphasized that Ukraine would make the decision to start negotiations with Russia on its own. However, in his opinion, if Russia defeats Ukraine, this will encourage the Russian authorities to further expansion. Therefore, NATO has a “moral and legal” obligation to support Kyiv.
In late 2023, Vladimir Putin, through mediators, offered the United States to freeze the conflict in Ukraine on established positions, three Russian sources told Reuters. However, U.S. officials said they had seen no indication that Putin was serious about discussing a cessation of hostilities. Also, Washington has rejected talks that would not include Ukraine.
After that, Putin was “re-elected” for a fifth term and decided to intensify military action to achieve his original goals. He “sensed the weakness of the West” and “is ready to go on until victory”, including another attempt to take Kyiv and Kharkiv, sources close to the presidential administration told Meduza.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted for the first time that negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv could begin before the country manages to reach the 1991 borders. Although before that he ruled out such a possibility and demanded full de-occupation of the Ukrainian territory, including Crimea. At the same time, Zelensky noted that he cannot trust Putin. “It is possible to agree on everything, but the question is whether he will honor it”, the Ukrainian leader emphasized.
