Comments from Russia on Putin's offer of unconditional negotiations to Kiev
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Kiev the resumption of preliminary direct negotiations on the night of May 11.
Putin called for a meeting on May 15 in Istanbul, where the delegations met shortly after the start of the military intervention in 2022. This development came after Ukraine and its Western allies' proposal to launch a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, which will take effect on May 12.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Ankara is ready to host negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, while the US, the European Union and Kiev insist that negotiations should only begin after the ceasefire.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitriy Peskov stated that the purpose of the negotiations with Ukraine is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and secure Russia's interests.
The Kremlin spokesman added that Kiev is dependent on Western administrators who "forced Ukraine to withdraw from the negotiation process in the past". Peskov later said in a statement that Putin did everything possible to end the conflict in Ukraine, but Moscow would have to continue the special military operation in the absence of diplomatic opportunities for a solution.
Peskov emphasized that “the solution process is full of small details that are vital for the future of Russia and Ukraine”.
'It will be difficult to send a crowded peacekeeping force to Ukraine'
Pavel Timofeyev, Head of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) Chair of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Regional Problems and Conflict Zones, who gave a statement to the newspaper Vedomosti, said that it is unclear how these negotiations will be possible while the President of Ukraine's legal regulation on September 30, 2022, prohibiting direct negotiations with Russia, continues.
Timofeyev stated that disagreements continue between Moscow and Kiev on fundamental issues such as Crimea, four new regions, the possibility of Ukraine's NATO membership and the status of the Russian language in Ukraine.
Timofeyev noted that they still believe that EU countries, their leaders and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, can defend Ukraine's position on the battlefield, judging by the speeches of their leaders and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during their visits to Kiev, and the proposal for 30 days, so military support continues.
“It is interesting that French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged that it would be difficult to send a crowded European peacekeeping force to Ukraine, although there is basically nothing new in his response to Putin's proposal,” the expert said.
'Neither the USA nor the European Union countries will stand behind Ukraine'
"The dual format is advantageous for Russia, because in this case neither the US nor the European Union countries will stand behind Ukraine during the negotiation process itself," said Aleksey Naumov, author of the Vneşpol Telegram channel.
The expert explained that the success of the Russian initiative largely depends on US President Donald Trump, who initially reacted quite positively to Putin's statement. According to Naumov, EU countries can be obstacles.
“If they unite around Zelenskiy and continue to insist on a ceasefire before the negotiations, this could complicate the situation,” Naumov summed up.
Vladimir Vasilyev, the lead researcher at the US and the Canadian Institute, said the US's complex response stemmed from the Trump administration's desire to review the role of mediation.
The expert emphasized that Trump and his entourage are looking for ways to "sell the negotiations to the American public as a success of Trump diplomacy".
Vasilyev also stated that they do not want to delay the start of the possible dialogue between Moscow and Kiev.
In addition, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mariya Zaharova announced that Russia offered Ukraine to start negotiations on May 15, not to discuss the ceasefire, but the root causes of the conflict.
"First we can talk about the negotiations about the main reasons, then about the ceasefire," Zaharova said.
Zaharova added that, judging by the reaction of the Ukrainian side, Bankova (Ukrainian Presidency Administration) "did not examine the text of the Russian President's statement well".
Vladimir Yakushev, Secretary of the General Council of the United Russia Party, stated that the message of Putin's initiative was simple, stating that Russia was not looking for a “temporary peace” and was ready to work on solid guarantees as expected from other participants of the process.
Pointing out that Moscow clearly shows that it is ready to work for a lasting peace in practice, not in words, Yakushev said, “Our head of state's proposal to restart direct negotiations with Ukraine in the format of Istanbul – without any additional conditions – continues the course of the comprehensive elimination of the fundamental causes of the Ukrainian crisis. And the majority of the world appreciated the proposal of the Russian leader," he said.