Zelensky’s turn towards negotiation – ISNA
The preside of Ukraine, who once meioned the departure of “Vladimir Putin” from the presidency of Russia as one of the conditions for negotiations with Moscow, now speaks of the need to achieve “sustainable peace” and seems desperate to try to take back all the eastern and southern regions of his coury. has been
According to Isna, the American media in an article referring to the occurrence of drastic changes in the speech of Ukrainian Preside Volodymyr Zelensky about negotiations with Russia, reported that it seems that Kiev has backed away from trying to take back all its territories.
According to the Washington Post, while Ukrainian forces on the battlefield struggle to resist the Russian army and US Preside-elect Donald Trump seeks to broker a peace deal, Zelensky has shown more willingness to negotiate an end to the war in rece weeks. And apparely, it has backed down from its position to take back corol of all areas of Ukraine.
Zelensky’s messages are carefully crafted. Although he has not said outright that he would agree to concessions, territorial or otherwise, these days he is more concerned with meeting Ukraine’s long-term security needs than pushing back on Russian forces.
According to the American media, the obvious change in Zelensky’s tone about the end of the war came from the escalation of tensions on the fro lines and Trump’s victory in the US presideial election; Because Trump has put the coinuation of Washington’s arms support to Kiev in an aura of uncertaiy.
The rece meeting of Zelensky, Macron and Trump at the Elysee Palace
From “taking back all areas” to “lasting peace”
Zelensky, who in the past said that it is not possible to negotiate an end to the war uil the last Russian soldier leaves Ukraine, these days he emphasizes on “lasting peace” and his main priority is to ensure his coury’s membership in NATO and possibly the presence of Western peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. .
Officials and analysts say Zelensky is trying to make sure his coury doesn’t walk away from the talks empty-handed, but his shift in tone overall reflects his effort to get closer to Trump’s positions in support of the ceasefire.
“Michael McFaul,” the former US ambassador to Russia, who is the co-chair of the iernational sanctions task force against Russia, says: “The Zelensky administration knows that the situation will change in the Trump administration.”
However, the analyst says that Zelensky is not too upset about Trump’s victory, because now he can blame Trump for his inability to fulfill his promise to liberate the Ukrainian territories and say that Washington did not allow this promise to be fulfilled.
Emphasizing the need for Ukraine to join NATO, Zelenskiy recely said that the territories now under the corol of Russian forces can be returned to Ukrainian soil “diplomatically” later. These statemes are, in fact, his most promine admission that Kiev will probably have to make territorial concessions to Russia, at least in the short term.
Putin’s meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban
The closed doors of NATO and the concern of Europe
Although Zelensky has given up his wish to take back all areas of Ukraine, NATO diplomats say that Kyiv’s membership in this military alliance is still a dista prospect, because members such as Germany and the United States have concerns about it, and some members such as Hungary are completely against Ukraine’s membership. are against
However, a senior NATO diplomat says that despite Western reluctance, Zelensky cannot give up on asking for security guaraees from the West.
In addition, the Washington Post, citing the statemes of some analysts, claimed that Kiev may be trying to guaraee the coinuation of Washington’s arms support by supporting the negotiations. According to these experts, Russia does not iend to eer the negotiations and Kiev is aware of this issue. Therefore, Ukraine was to ultimately increase US arms support by apparely going along with Trump’s request for negotiations.
Ukraine’s European allies are also worried about a sharp reduction in arms support to Kiev after Trump took office, and they fear that Kiev will be forced to negotiate with Russia in a weakened state.
Politicians across Europe are also considering doubling their defense budgets, as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned that members of the alliance must adapt to a wartime mindset and prepare to face poteial threats from Russia.
Rutte recely said: “The first step we need to take is for Zelensky to be able to negotiate from a position of power; But now the Russians are advancing. “Zelensky doesn’t need a new plan, he was ammunition.”
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