Zelensky, after the victory in Kherson, assures that “we will not go to Moscow” and “we are prepared for peace throughout the country”
While the call from the West and the UN for a solution to the current conflict in Ukraine is becoming increasingly clear and, according to the Russian press, talks are already underway in Turkey between Russia and the United States to finalize a peace plan Kiev continues to receive the support of the United States, the European Union and NATO in their fight to regain parts of the country occupied by Russian troops. In this regard, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, and NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, spoke on Monday.
Ukrainian President Volodímir Zelensky made a surprise visit to the city of Kherson, which was liberated by his army on Friday, and assured that they will continue the counter-offensive until they recover the rest of the regions occupied by Russian forces. But he pointed to peace as the main goal to be achieved. “We are moving forward. We are ready for peace, peace all over the country,” Zelensky said. He also assured that it is not the intention to advance on Russian territory. “We are not going to Moscow, we are not interested in the territory of another country,” the Ukrainian president said.
The recommendation to show more readiness for negotiations with Moscow that promote the end of the war was made directly to Zelensky in Kiev on November 4 by the United States National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan. The Ukrainian president then received a formula for a negotiation path with the Kremlin. Washington has been trying for weeks to convince Kiev to resume talks with Moscow, according to CNN. On the US side, such a request justified the fact that public support for Ukraine and its armed resistance to US aggression could weaken if there is no end in sight to the conflict.
Nevertheless, the United States, through its President Joe Biden, its Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and other senior officials, continues to pledge to provide armed and financial support to Kiev, as does NATO and much of the European Union. They also believe that no real peace deal can be reached without the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and even Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan have spoken out along the same lines.
According to the Telegram channel ‘General SVR’, which claims to have reliable sources in the Kremlin area, there is already a Western peace plan on the desk of President Vladimir Putin’s office that would keep the Russian peninsula under Russian control for seven years. to leave. in Crimea, but should return the other four annexed territories to Ukraine on September 30. At most, it would be acceptable to hold referenda again in Donetsk and Lugansk under international supervision for possible autonomy, but never within Russia.
In this context, as the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported Monday, Russian and US representatives are meeting in Ankara in the first attempt since January to reach an agreement to defuse the Ukrainian conflict. The Russian newspaper states that among those present on behalf of Moscow was the director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Sergei Narishkin. According to other sources, the CIA director, Bill Burns, also attended the meeting. Russian presidency spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday he cannot “confirm or deny” the existence of such negotiations. The Turkish authorities also declined to comment.
But Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Alexander Grushko, warned on Monday that the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine is “unacceptable” for Moscow as a condition for starting negotiations. “Our president has repeatedly said that we are ready to negotiate, but these negotiations must take into account the situation on the ground,” Grushkó stressed, referring to the fact that it is realistic to admit that what is already occupied by Russian troops, will not be returned.
Grushko’s words were immediately answered by Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko, who noted that “Russia is not in a position to dictate its terms”. “Ukraine’s formula of peace remains unchanged: immediate termination of the war, withdrawal of all Russian troops, restoration of Ukrainian territorial integrity, compensation for the damage caused and provision of effective guarantees for the non-recurrence of the aggression,” Nikolenko said. also believes that “under other circumstances, achieving a lasting peace would be impossible.”
Regarding the possible start of peace talks, Borrell insisted in Brussels that Ukraine “will be the one who decides what to do (…) it is our duty to support them”. For its part, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto also believes that “the timing of the negotiations is something for Ukraine to determine”. According to him, “the final agreements between Ukraine and Russia can be reached for that purpose when Russia withdraws from the occupied territories”.
Speaking from the Netherlands, with whom he met his foreign and defense ministers, Stoltenberg said that “it is up to Ukraine to decide. It is they who must pay: they pay the highest price in terms of lives lost and damage to the country. Therefore, it is up to Ukraine to decide what conditions are acceptable to them, we must support them and maximize the chance of an acceptable outcome.” In his words, such decisions will not be made “neither in Brussels nor in any NATO capital. too.” “Most wars end somewhere around the negotiating table. But what happens at the table is fundamentally linked to the situation on the battlefield,” Stoltenberg stressed, acknowledging the need to continue to support Kiev militarily.
Source: La Verdad
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