Russia says freezing Ukraine conflict would lead to nuclear war
The head of Russia's negotiating delegation said that freezing the Ukraine conflict would not solve the problem, but would lead to nuclear war.
Freezing the conflict in Ukraine without a deal on the ground would lead to a nuclear war, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky said, according to RIA Novosti.
The terms of the 2022 peace treaty for Ukraine are “softer” than those Russia offered Kiev in 2025, Mr. Medinsky said. The head of the Russian delegation added that if Ukraine wanted peace and made its own decisions, the peace treaty with Moscow would have been signed on February 28, 2022.
"We finally agreed for the first time in Istanbul. We prepared a memorandum, as I remember now: 19 pages, very detailed. There were even nuances to the point that the words were understood equally in Russian, English and Ukrainian. On April 15, President Putin made some changes to this memorandum. The president is a lawyer by profession," said aide Vladimir Medinsky.
According to Mr. Medinsky, in the eyes of the military of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who participated in the negotiations in Istanbul, there was a reluctance to fight and put soldiers in danger.
Regarding the exchange of dead, Moscow asked Ukraine to hand over the bodies of Russian soldiers in exchange, but they had nothing to give in return. Russia unilaterally planned to transfer 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers to Kiev. Moscow has identified all of these dead.
Mr Medinsky said Russia had no need for war, but it seemed to be necessary for Ukraine’s current leadership. “They need an enemy and constant war to stay in power forever,” he said.
In addition, the Ukrainian delegation to the negotiations in 2022, according to Mr. Medinsky, appears more independent and freer than this year. It would be possible to quickly agree on acceptable terms, if negotiators from Kiev are guided by Ukrainian, not European, interests.
Regarding the US, Mr. Medinsky said that the US rare earth treaty with Ukraine is nothing compared to what an American businessman can get from cooperating with Moscow. President Trump's policy is understandable for Russia, because he prioritizes US interests.
