return to the 2022 borders, likelihood of conflict resolution: Ukraine: Former USSR: Lenta.ru

Negotiations to resolve the Ukrainian conflict should return to the February 2022 borders. This opinion expressed head of the president’s office (OP) Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky Andrey Ermak.

According to him, such a decision will lead to a fruitful dialogue between the parties. “This would be the starting point for further settlement,” Ermak said.

Thus, the head of Zelensky’s office considered it unnecessary to return to the 1991 borders of Ukraine, but called for a return to the 2022 borders, since this would supposedly demonstrate the desire of all parties to stop hostilities. Now, according to Ermak, “Russia does not demonstrate such readiness and continues to escalate.”

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba previously spokethat Zelensky will ensure his “political end” if he signs a peace agreement with territorial concessions.

“The Russians are preserving Donbass, they are preserving Crimeano membership NATO [для Украины]. Can Zelensky sign the agreement? He can’t because of the Constitution. And because this will be the political end of Zelensky,” Kuleba explained.

The need for Ukraine to renounce its territories was also announced in the United States

Previously, a number of American officials recognized necessity of refusal Kyiv from territories in favor of Russia to resolve the conflict. According to the source, they began discussing this option in the United States at the end of October.

The final decision was allegedly made after re-election Donald Trump. According to sources, the US President’s team Joe Biden has come to terms with the possible cessation of aid to Kyiv from the Republicans.

The need for territorial concessions on the part of Kyiv is also discussed among Ukraine’s European allies. Previously, this topic was taboo, but now there is a discussion among senior officials about what security guarantees Ukraine could receive in the event of cession of territories.

How did Russia assess the likelihood of starting negotiations?

First Deputy Chairman State Duma Committee on International Affairs Svetlana Zhurova I doubted is that the dialogue between Russia and Ukraine can begin before the end of this year. This is how she assessed the intention of US President-elect Donald Trump to resolve the conflict before the inauguration.

Zhurova also expressed doubts that Trump would be able to convince the Ukrainian side to sit down at the negotiating table. In addition, the deputy noted, it is important to consider what conditions this will be on and whether the Russian president will agree to these conditions.

“AND [украинцы] they partly expect that in these months what he allowed them to do will happen as quickly as possible [действующий президент США Джо] Biden, and on the contrary, they will be given even more support. And they will have time to do before the New Year what Trump may not allow them to do later. Therefore, the question is who can defeat whom in this confrontation, including, unfortunately, political,” Zhurova shared.