The prospect of the EU forcing Russia into peace talks through military means.
The EU's High Representative for Foreign Policy said that forcing Russia into peace talks through military means was "a pipe dream."
According to RIA Novosti on October 15, the European Union's (EU) top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said that the possibility of forcing Russia to sign a ceasefire agreement through military means seems a very distant prospect.
“There is strategic logic in strengthening Ukraine politically and militarily to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, but I must admit that this seems like a very distant prospect,” said Josep Borrell after a meeting of the EU Foreign Office Council in Luxembourg.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that there are currently no serious proposals to resolve the Ukraine conflict; meanwhile, the data on this topic appearing in Western media outlets is merely speculative.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia has no choice but to achieve victory in its special military operation in Ukraine. He added that Russia should take the West's position seriously, as these countries intend to defeat Russia both "strategically and tactically."
Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. Negotiations began in the early days of the conflict, but broke down in late March 2022 and have remained deadlocked ever since. Moscow has stated that peace talks will only be based on the situation on the ground, including Kyiv's recognition of certain territories annexed by Russia and Ukraine's commitment to neutrality and not joining the military coalition.
Meanwhile, Ukraine insists it will only negotiate on the basis of the peace formula put forward by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
