Which country is likely to become a mediator between Russia and Ukraine?

Last week, in an interview with Izvestia, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó said that Budapest is ready to become a center for reconciliation between Moscow and Kiev. This was also mentioned by Mr. Szijjártó to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukrainian President's Chief of Staff Andrei Ermak in February 2022.

Izvestia quoted a high-ranking source as saying that Moscow is not against talks with Kiev on the territory of a Western country, including Hungary. However, what matters is whether the West and Ukraine are ready for a constructive dialogue with Russia.

Negotiations to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict are taking place from February to March 2022, through the intermediary countries of Belarus and Türkiye, respectively.

Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Izvestia that Kiev is currently trying to strictly follow Western “instructions” to “fight to the last Ukrainian.”

“We appreciate Hungary’s desire to help prevent the conflict, but mediation is only a tool to organize the negotiation process. The important question remains: Who is ready to negotiate on the other side? Ukraine, which does not make its own decisions, is still constrained by a decree prohibiting negotiations with Russia. Meanwhile, Kiev’s Western allies have shown no desire to negotiate,” said Rodion Miroshnik.

The Russian diplomat stressed that Moscow is ready to achieve the goals of the special military operation through political and diplomatic means.

Since the conflict began, many countries have expressed their desire to act as mediators. Türkiye has played the most active role. Here, the parties have not only agreed on a ceasefire and the principles of future interaction between Moscow and Kiev, but also held talks on Ukraine's grain exports.

In February 2023, China released its 12-point peace plan. The document called for the resumption of peace talks at Beijing's initiative as the "only viable solution" to the conflict.

In June 2023, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa proposed a 10-point peace plan from African countries.

Political scientist Bogdan Bezpalko, a member of the Russian President's Council on Peoples' Relations, said that some countries in the European Union could provide a platform for negotiations and act as mediators. However, he believes that countries outside the EU and NATO still have a better chance.

According to Bezpalko, Hungary and Slovakia could become mediators in the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. But from the perspective of modern international relations, it would be more logical to emphasize some neutral country, such as India.

“At least India has a significant influence in world politics, and it has remained neutral in the Ukraine crisis. India maintains its own relations with both Russia and the West,” the Russian political scientist said.

However, Mr. Bezpalko did not rule out the possibility that a Middle Eastern country or even a post-Soviet republic, such as Uzbekistan, could become a mediator./.