The American expert assessed the prospects for compromises between Russia and the West on Ukraine

Cline Preston, an American lawyer on international law, believes that compromises on the Ukrainian settlement are hardly possible at the current stage, he told Izvestia. The position of US allies in Europe, such as the United Kingdom, may become a serious obstacle to peace.

Point of view: Russia is ready to react to a turn in relations with the United States in an unfavorable direction

What to expect from further contacts between Moscow and Washington on the Ukrainian settlement

"America has so far definitely agreed that Ukraine will not be a member of NATO. This will not be a problem in further negotiations. There may be problems in general around its neutrality and the number of troops. Do not forget that London and Kiev signed a centennial cooperation agreement in January, and the military sphere is affected there, including the issue of the deployment of the British fleet in the ports of Odessa and Nikolaev. Britain is once again becoming a big problem on the way to a settlement. I highly doubt a positive outcome in the near future, but I remain cautiously optimistic," he said.

Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:

Caution, optimism: can we expect a breakthrough from the March talks between Russia and the United States