Zelenskyy and NATO chief warn Russia uses peace talks to pursue its aims
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte have expressed scepticism about Russia's current willingness to hold real talks and warned the West against misreading Moscow's intentions.
Source: Zelenskyy and Rutte speaking on a joint panel at the Munich Security Conference on 14 February, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Rutte said Russia's decision to change its lead negotiator in the trilateral talks shows Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is not seeking a genuine peace agreement.
"Is he [Putin] serious about all of this? And he is again sending this 'historian' to the talks in Geneva so he could again lecture the Ukrainians about how the [Kyivan] Rus [developed] from Sweden or whatever," Rutte said, referring to the appointment of Vladimir Medinsky to lead Russia's delegation for the next round of talks.
Zelenskyy said he is convinced Russia wants to secure Ukraine's partition but that this would not stop Moscow's desire to continue the war.
Quote from Zelenskyy: "It seems Putin hopes to repeat Munich – and not Munich 2007, when they only spoke about dividing Europe, but Munich 1938, when previous Putin began dividing Europe in reality. It would be an illusion to believe that this war can now be reliably ended by dividing Ukraine, just as it was an illusion to believe that sacrificing Czechoslovakia would save Europe from a great war."
More details: Zelenskyy said Ukraine remains ready to continue negotiations and hopes Western pressure can force Russia towards peace.
Quote: "We have invested in this process, and we're in constant contact with Steve Witkoff, with Jared Kushner and with everyone President Trump appoints. And Ukraine wants the result of all these efforts to be real security and real peace. Not what came out of Geneva in 2021, not what the Russians hope for from this so-called 'spirit of Anchorage'."
Background:
- Zelenskyy has earlier said Ukraine is aware of the so-called Anchorage formula.
- Fresh talks on Ukraine are planned to be held in Geneva and Russia plans to send Putin's aide Vladimir Medinsky to lead the Russian delegation. Rustem Umierov, the head of the Ukrainian delegation in the trilateral talks, earlier disclosed the composition of Ukraine's team.
- In Munich, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also spoken about whether he sees any sense in Europe to enter into talks with Moscow.
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