The Kremlin wants to negotiate peace in Ukraine only with the US – without the participation of other Western countries. At the same time, a close confidante of Russian President Vladimir Putin is thinking about the possible end of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova as independent states.
Both countries fell into crisis because of their anti-Russian policies, Nikolai Patrushev, former secretary of the Russian Security Council, said in an interview with the Moscow newspaper “Komsomolskaya Pravda” on Tuesday. “It is not impossible that Ukraine will cease to exist this year,” he said. In the case of the Republic of Moldova, it is likely “that it will become another state or cease to exist altogether.”
Patrushev (73) is a close associate of Putin and a supporter of Russia’s great power claims, even though he has only been responsible for shipping policy in the Kremlin since 2024.
Regarding a possible conversation with the new US President Donald Trump, who will be sworn in in a few days, Patrushev noted: “Moscow will accept a peace settlement in the Ukrainian war only if the Crimean Peninsula and the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhia and Kherson remain inviolable with Russia.” There is nothing to discuss with the EU in Brussels or with London.
How Moscow imagines ‘lasting peace’.
Weeks ago, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov explained how Moscow envisioned a “lasting peace.” There was no question of a “weak ceasefire”, he made clear.
His country wants a binding agreement for a lasting peace that guarantees the security of Russia and its neighbors. “A ceasefire is a road to nowhere,” Lavrov said at a news conference in Moscow. The West would only use a weak ceasefire to rearm Ukraine.
In this context, the 74-year-old chief diplomat brought into play the “legitimate security interests” of the Russians: “We need definitive legal agreements that create all conditions for ensuring the security of the Russian Federation and, of course, the legitimate security interests of our neighbors.” Russia wants the documents to be worded in such a way that a violation of these agreements is impossible.
Support from Germany is crumbling
Future military aid to Kiev is also uncertain, which worsens Ukraine’s negotiating position. In Germany, current Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is currently campaigning for a significant reduction in support during the election campaign. He also encounters internal resistance.
According to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD), Berlin will soon supply 60 additional missiles for the Iris-T air defense system to defend against Russian attacks. According to information from the German news agency, the delivery will take place from Bundeswehr stocks. The total cost of the missiles is approximately 60 million euros. Due to the difficult situation in Ukraine, the decision was taken without clarity about additional financing.
Pistorius also met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on Tuesday. The Minister of Defense expressed the expectation that a solution would be found in the ongoing negotiations in Germany on further aid to Ukraine amounting to three billion euros.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
