The expert assessed the prospects for the start of negotiations between Kiev and Moscow

On the night of May 8, the truce announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin during the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory is to come into effect. However, the prospects for negotiations between Moscow and Kiev are now extremely doubtful, says Vladimir Brovkin, an American historian and former lecturer at Harvard University. In his opinion, even if they do begin, they are unlikely to lead to a visible result.

"[Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky has made it absolutely clear that he is not going to recognize either Crimea or Donbass. Like a madman, he repeats the same theses: "No one can forbid us to join NATO" and "We have the freedom to arm ourselves," the expert said in a conversation with Izvestia.

The Russian president is much more experienced in diplomacy, he stressed. While US President Donald Trump, according to the source, does not demonstrate consistency and stability.

Brovkin believes that even if Ukraine abandons the idea of joining NATO, there is no guarantee that this topic will not come up again. An acceptable option for Russia, in his opinion, would be the signing of an international agreement on the neutrality of Ukraine with the participation of the United States, the European Union and the guarantor represented by the United Nations (UN).

Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:

Crisis epicenter: Moscow expects clear actions from Kiev to de-escalate the conflict