Time to find 'another way' to resolve the Ukraine conflict
(Baonghean.vn) - Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto declared that it is time for all countries involved in the Ukraine conflict to start looking for a political solution to the crisis.
Defense Minister Crosetto noted that, as the conflict between Moscow and Kiev approaches its third year, “it is important to pursue paths leading to a political solution.” However, he stressed that these efforts must go hand in hand with continued military support for Ukraine. Crosetto pointed out that although the West has succeeded in ensuring Ukraine’s “survival,” other goals for the country have not yet been achieved.
“What cannot be achieved militarily… can be achieved by opening a diplomatic and political front to try to achieve the same result through peace negotiations,” he said. Crosetto also stressed that “what existed before the war must be restored, and what cannot be achieved by force must be achieved in other ways.”
Italy’s defense minister warned in early October that the hostilities between Russia and Ukraine were unlikely to be resolved on the battlefield. At the time, he explained that “the more time passes, the less likely we are to help Ukraine with resources that are not unlimited,” pointing to the serious problems Kiev has encountered in its unsuccessful attempts to push back the Russian army.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Aleksey Makeev, denied that Berlin was pushing Kiev to enter peace talks with Moscow. His comments came shortly after Der Spiegel speculated that a senior official in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government had indicated that Germany now favours a negotiated solution.
In an interview with German broadcaster RRB, Ambassador Makeev responded negatively when asked whether Berlin was pressuring Kiev to reach a peace deal with Moscow. The diplomat stressed that such discussions with Ukrainian officials were not held behind closed doors.
Earlier, Der Spiegel reported that in late October, German Ambassador to the United States Andreas Michaelis invited a group of influential US foreign policy strategists and Russia experts to a private party. In addition to Michaelis himself, Wolfgang Schmidt, head of Chancellor Scholz's office, was also present at the event. According to the media, the meeting's agenda was to discuss the situation on the Ukrainian frontline and possible ways to end the bloodshed.
Speaking to reporters last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that “a number of high-ranking, prominent leaders of Western countries, including one particular Western leader, a very prominent leader, have repeatedly… through at least three different channels sent signals why we don’t meet and talk about what to do with Ukraine and European security.” The Russian diplomat added that he “did not want to and had no right to name names.” He reiterated that Russia “is always ready to have serious discussions on these issues,” and asserted that Ukraine itself has so far ruled out a similar possibility./.