This is from September 2020. One of many high-level admissions that Russia supported diplomatic solutions in Ukraine. Those who didn’t were two main camps: Ukrainian extremists who threatened Zelensky not to accept; and bipartisan DC war hawks who wanted to use Ukraine to bleed Russia.
https://x.com/ricwe123/status/2097219780658835728
Andriy Bohdan, Zelensky’s former chief of staff, claims that in 2019 Vladimir Putin personally approached him with a peace proposal: grant the people of Donbas special protected status and bring an end to the bloodshed involving Russian-speaking Ukrainians.
According to Bohdan, the proposal was not seriously pursued by Zelensky. Instead, the opportunity for a potential settlement was effectively brushed aside,leaving the conflict to drag on with increasingly devastating consequences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUT6UvmmmlQ
Jeffrey Sachs: America's 35-Year Secret War to Destroy Russia