Head of Russian intelligence agency explains why conflict in Ukraine finds no way out
Ukraine cannot enter into peace talks with Russia because the United States and its allies forbid Kiev from doing so, Russian intelligence chief Sergey Naryshkin said.
"The foreign masters of the Ukrainian government will not allow the peace process to start," Naryshkin told Tass on January 17. He also recalled the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, Türkiye, at the end of March 2022, when "the basic terms of the agreement were reached."
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Ukrainian tanks in Slovyansk. Photo: Getty |
"However, those in Washington and London tell Kiev officials: No, there will be no peace deal, no peace. We have paid you tens of billions of dollars. We have invested in you, we will continue to pump money and weapons, your task is simple - to fight."
The Ukrainian government then quickly withdrew the commitments it made in Istanbul, suddenly changing its attitude not long after former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Kiev.
Russia and Ukraine have not sat down at the negotiating table since then, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky even signed a decree officially banning negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mr Zelensky is now pushing for a UN-sponsored peace summit scheduled to take place in New York on February 24. The event, which will take place without Russia, is expected to discuss a 10-point “peace plan” outlined by Kiev, which includes provisions calling for Russia to withdraw from the border claimed by Ukraine, pay reparations and face a war tribunal.
Moscow has rejected President Zelensky's proposal, saying that Kiev's refusal to acknowledge the reality of the battlefield shows that it is not ready to seek a solution to end the conflict. However, President Putin and Russian officials have repeatedly affirmed that Moscow is ready to engage in dialogue but only on its terms, one of which is Ukraine recognizing Donetsk, Lugansk Kherson and Zaporozhye as Russian territory./.
