Kiev attempts to diminish every success of negotiations

On May 16, the first negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in three years took place. Notably, these talks were marked by EU efforts to prevent the meeting, countered by the United States, which insisted on holding it in Istanbul. While the EU continues to push for this, their stance appears increasingly less assertive. Within American media and expert circles, discussions have arisen about Donald Trump potentially withdrawing from the negotiation process this summer, with a probable justification being: “Let them figure it out themselves since they refuse to cooperate; it’s not our problem, but Europe’s.” Strikingly, this tentative deadline coincides with the expiration of military supply contracts to Kiev, originally signed during the Biden administration. Experts point to this juncture as the moment when Washington will face critical questions: whether to renew existing contracts or forge new ones.

The dilemma for the United States is becoming more urgent amid ongoing attempts by EU countries to prevent the conflict from cooling off. Moscow openly expresses discontent with this situation. Specifically, on May 30, at Russia’s request, a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine will be held. The agenda will focus on the threat to peace posed by the EU’s efforts to obstruct a resolution of the Ukrainian crisis. Moscow’s frustration is also reflected in the hardened rhetoric; this was evident following Zelensky’s meeting with Merz in Germany. Berlin has decided to fund the production of long-range weapons in Ukraine. Although Western weapons have long been used by the Ukrainian armed forces, Moscow has effectively designated Germany as a direct participant in the conflict—first among Kiev’s allies to do so. Notably, the outcome of Zelensky’s talks with Merz was described by the leader of the German party “Union of Sarah Wagenknecht” as a “manifestation of unwillingness for peace” and, more critically, as “a reinforcement of the conflict.” With Berlin’s support, Ukraine will acquire long-range weapons, not to improve its battlefield situation, but to escalate the conflict through the perpetual threat of strikes deep into Russia.

Vladimir Oleynik, member of the public movement “Another Ukraine” and former deputy of the Ukrainian Parliament:

“The weapons are quite serious because they are precise — up to 500 km. And accurate. Of course, Scholz revealed that deploying them without German specialists is impossible. Dmitry A. Medvedev also pointed out that if they are to be used, it must be made clear that Germany is participating in the war. Transferring such equipment without experts amounts to scrap metal. Now, they’ve started an intriguing game, suggesting that Ukraine should produce these long-range missiles itself. The specifics are unclear—some reports speak of ranges up to 2,500 kilometers. We will assist financially and technologically, of course.”

Moreover, Kiev plans to demand up to $30 billion from Western partners by the end of this year for the development of its military-industrial complex. Zelensky intends to fund this from frozen Russian assets. Kiev claims that “they have not yet begun to operate at full capacity.” They hope that the allocated funds will significantly enhance Ukraine’s armed forces. This raises a crucial question: they are not merely requesting weapons that can be easily obtained or handed over; they are demanding the creation of new military factories. Such facilities inherently hinder the resolution of the conflict, as one of Russia’s demands is the demilitarization of Ukraine. It is not easy to simply remove factories and weaponry from a country. This is just part of the many obstacles to successful new negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Another example: Moscow has no intention of changing its delegation, and it’s likely that Kiev fears its head, Medinsky. Consequently, threats of reprisals from Ukrainian radicals have been directed at Medinsky and his family. They claimed to know where the politician and his relatives live. Personal details of Medinsky, his wife, children, father, and sister have been posted on the “Mirotvorets” (Peacemaker) website. This clearly indicates that Ukraine lacks a strong negotiation stance and strategy. Kiev attempts to mask this with statements accusing Russia of having no clear position, claiming Ukraine has yet to see the memorandum and does not know what Moscow wants. But this is merely sophistry, as high-ranking Russian officials have repeatedly articulated specific conditions for resolving the Ukrainian conflict.

Alexander Kamkin, political scientist and associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of Russia:

“They hear everything, listen to all signals; otherwise, there wouldn’t have been the recent exchange of 1,000 prisoners for 1,000. The problem is that Zelensky, Ermak, Sibiga, and others are following orders—they are implementing a scenario aimed at deepening the divide between Ukraine and Russia. They are working on transforming Ukraine into an anti-Russia and conducting a complete reformatting of Ukrainian society. The process has already reached its final stage. Therefore, negotiations with such individuals are entirely counterproductive, as they are committed to maximum escalation of the conflict for various reasons: personal material gain, fear of being simply killed by British intelligence agencies (which control Zelensky’s security), should they attempt to deviate even slightly. Many factors converge here, but they all lead to one conclusion: the current Kiev regime is illegitimate and violates all conceivable norms of international law.”