FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
For the first time, even Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, always cautious in his comments on US mediation, seems to be struggling. He says he "highly appreciates" Donald Trump's efforts, saying he is "sincerely working towards a solution", as demonstrated by the involvement of "his entire team".
But when asked whether negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine could be completed by Christmas, as the White House leader would like, he would not comment.
"I will not make any predictions about the timeframe; I believe that would be a very thankless task at this time. I can only speak on behalf of the Russian side, of President Vladimir Putin. He is open to peace, to a serious peace and serious decisions. He is absolutely not open to tricks that aim to buy time." And among the "tricks," he also lists the opposing side's proposals for a ceasefire. "Artificial and temporary ceasefires," he calls them.
It is unfortunate that, in response to Kiev's continued efforts, the Kremlin continues to raise the stakes and show no inclination for compromise. Regarding the negotiations between the US, Ukraine and Europe, Peskov does not address the merits because "Washington does not discuss the proposals being discussed with Moscow in real time" and is waiting to "learn the results."
But what is certain is that Volodymyr Zelensky's willingness to give up Ukraine's NATO membership is not enough. Kiev's refusal to join the Atlantic Alliance should be "discussed separately," says Peskov, and included in a "legally binding document" that is, according to him, the "cornerstone" of the ongoing negotiations. A few days ago, he had already called the Ukrainian president's proposal to hold a referendum on the possible transfer of Ukrainian territories claimed but not yet controlled by Moscow "a pretext to call for a ceasefire, a pause or a ceasefire on the front." "It will not pass," he promised.
For Moscow, even the EU countries’ desire to use frozen Russian assets to finance Kiev over the next two years is just another “scam”. A scam that Brussels may regret, however. The Russian Central Bank has filed a lawsuit in the Moscow Arbitration Court, seeking 200 billion euros in damages from Euroclear, marking the first step in what the Kremlin has warned would be “a legal nightmare” for the EU. It is opening a “Pandora’s box”, presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev threatens.
The pro-government newspaper Izvestia also accuses Zelensky and the European Union of wanting to drag out the negotiation process. "When the diplomats fell silent, the guns began to speak, and their voice became decisive in shaping the political reality of the future. However, today, guns and diplomats speak simultaneously, and the voice of the latter often stands out louder amid the daily news cycle."
However, for Izvestia, this “diplomatic turmoil” is merely “background noise.” And Zelensky’s proposals in particular are simply “another step aimed at delaying the negotiation process, an attempt to divert it from the path of meaningful discussion into the abyss of political simulacra.” Europe, it writes, “is pursuing a similar tactic,” flooding the press with “revelations, rewriting American peace plans and proposing their own.” Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, also accuses the Europeans of wanting to “complicate the process” of the negotiations.
Meanwhile, Russian weapons, however, continue to make a “buzz.” This is what really matters to Moscow. “Kiev is now caught in a crossfire, with one blade represented by Washington’s political pressure and the other, even sharper, by Russia’s growing military offensive,” Izvestia notes. “European efforts to mitigate these opposing pressures have had only limited effect, turning the process into a painful and bloody ordeal rather than saving the Ukrainian leadership from a tragic fate. Sooner or later, the blades will meet and then, as they say, the head will be cut off.” From Louis XIV to Louis XVI, it’s a short step./ La Repubblica
Lini një Përgjigje