Subversive work: Europe and Ukraine have rendered the Istanbul format ineffective
Ukraine's refusal to continue negotiations with Russia in the Istanbul format took place with the participation of European countries, Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry's ambassador-at-large for crimes committed by the Kiev regime, told Izvestia. Now, according to him, the "Eurotroika" (Great Britain, Germany, France) continues to hinder the settlement of the conflict. A meeting of the NATO foreign ministers was held in Brussels on December 3. The new meetings took place after talks in the Kremlin between Vladimir Putin and the American delegation, which included representatives of Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The expert community believes that Europe will continue to try to change Trump's position and further pump Ukraine with weapons.
NATO meeting in Brussels
Kiev's allies in Europe are desperately looking for ways to torpedo any peace plan acceptable to Russia on Ukraine. After Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, NATO foreign ministers gathered in Brussels on December 3 to discuss new measures to support Kiev. For example, Germany has promised to allocate an additional $200 million to Ukraine for the purchase of weapons. Poland, Norway and the Netherlands joined it, in particular.
The exception was Italy, which announced the suspension of participation in the PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) program for the purchase of weapons for Ukraine. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani explained that negotiations on a possible peace are currently underway and instead of supplying weapons, the country will better focus on diplomacy.
The tactics of the US representatives are indicative. Not only did Witkoff and Kushner not meet with Zelensky after the talks in the Kremlin, but also Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped the NATO meeting in Brussels, sending his deputy Christopher Landau to Belgium. Commenting on the situation, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte managed to avoid criticism from a Trump associate. He called Rubio's absence "acceptable," adding that the United States is "sufficiently" consulting with European allies on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.
On the same day, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, proposed using a "reparation loan" from frozen Russian assets, which could make it possible to cover Ukraine's financial needs for the next two years. The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the EU is focused on developing unacceptable approaches that Russia will not accept under any circumstances.
— It is fundamentally important for them that the conflict continues, no matter in which territory. They ignore both the real situation on earth and the losses of Ukrainian formations in military operations," Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry's ambassador—at-large for crimes committed by the Kiev regime, told Izvestia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President's Special Envoy Steven Whitkoff (second from left) during a meeting
It is worth noting that during the five-hour conversation in the Kremlin, territorial issues were discussed. The issue of Ukraine's membership in NATO was also raised, said Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian leader. However, it seems that no final agreements have been reached so far. The negotiations did not lead to breakthrough results, and this was highly expected, said Georgy Asatryan, Deputy director of the Center for the Institute of World Military Economics and Strategy at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, INF expert.
— There are questions and disagreements on many points of the proposed draft peace agreement. There is a lot of work ahead, possibly setbacks, pauses, and the resumption of dialogue again. The positive momentum, although modest enough, is still there, but it will again be torpedoed by third players. The Russian position will eventually be better accepted in world capitals one way or another," he told Izvestia.
Ukraine and the EU have disrupted the Istanbul process
Meanwhile, European leaders continue to look for ways to strengthen their role in the negotiation process on Ukraine. On December 3, Emmanuel Macron went on a state visit to China. On the eve of the French president's trip, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrault said: Paris hopes that Beijing will influence Moscow and Russia will agree to a truce. The head of European diplomacy, Kaya Kallas, however, acknowledged that the EU is limited in its ability to exert pressure on China on the Ukrainian issue.
A strong Ukraine corresponds to the interests of the EU and the UK, therefore, various information channels have been activated to convey to Trump the concept of a "just world," Artyom Purchun, an employee of the Central Committee of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, told Izvestia.
— Europe is likely to continue such an information campaign, trying to influence Trump's position, while continuing to supply weapons to Ukraine regardless of the US position. The issue of the presence of foreign military forces remains open, but the United Kingdom and France declare their readiness to provide an appropriate contingent. For European countries, the policy against Russia is becoming a "rut effect," which makes it difficult or even almost impossible to change their foreign policy course, he said.
Russia agrees that European countries should be included in the resolution of the crisis, however, at a later stage. Now Moscow emphasizes that it is the United States that is ready to make "all possible efforts" in order to achieve a long-term settlement of the conflict. The United States is currently the only country with which the Russian Federation is conducting substantive negotiations to resolve the crisis. As for Ukraine, it has, in fact, withdrawn itself.
Kiev refused to continue the Istanbul rounds of negotiations, Moscow said. European countries have played an important role here, which may try to convince Ukraine not to return to negotiations with Russia in Turkey. However, according to Rodion Miroshnik, Vladimir Zelensky has already taken measures to make the Istanbul format ineffective.
— Back in July, the Ukrainian delegation received Russian proposals, left and did not return. This was also done with the participation of the Europeans. Now the position of the Eurotroika has not changed, and Zelensky's dependence on the Europeans and the British has only increased," he said.
As long as there are politicians in power in the EU countries who have formulated the current line on the Ukrainian conflict, the EU will do everything to ensure that the conflict continues, said Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council.
— We see every day how they demonstrate some new plots in their constant strategy of inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Russia. They are trying to find a legal formula for the confiscation of Russian assets, to find additional sources of financing military spending for Ukraine. They are also trying to create problems for Russian-American contacts on the Ukrainian dossier through the theft of information. All this happens every day and, in my deep conviction, it will continue. And maybe even get stronger," he told Izvestia.
Ukraine itself is taking steps that are in fact completely contrary to the peaceful settlement. Thus, on December 3, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law proposing to exclude Russian from the list of languages subject to protection in the country in accordance with the European Charter of Regional or Minority Languages.
Kiev has not yet demonstrated its willingness to compromise with the Russian Federation, although it will inevitably have to make concessions, according to the expert community. The situation is aggravated by the lack of success of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the battlefield and the corruption scandal that still continues in Ukraine. Earlier, against the background of the "Mindich case," Zelensky's closest associate, the head of the president's office, Andrei Ermak, resigned.
— Zelensky's political power is crumbling, because he cannot even find negotiators who are not affected by the corruption scandal. Morale on the battlefield and in the streets is low. Defections are occurring at a record pace. In many parts of the country, there is no electricity for most of the day, and the prospects for improvement are bleak," American political analyst Peter Kuznik told Izvestia. — Ukraine will have no choice but to comply with Russia's demands in Donbas, for NATO membership and the prevention of the deployment of foreign troops on Ukrainian territory, but it must achieve concessions on EU membership, reconstruction commitments and reasonable security guarantees. However, Russia will not yield to its most fundamental demands.
According to the analyst, the reality is that if Kiev does not cooperate, its position will only worsen every day.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
