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| Russia believes that the US and the trio of European powers, Britain, France and Germany, cannot mediate the conflict in Ukraine. (Source: Business day) |
Earlier, former Munich Security Conference Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger called for the creation of a contact group on Ukraine to "kick-start the peace process", which is said to include Washington, London, Paris and Berlin.
Regarding the above proposal, the Russian Foreign Ministry affirmed: "Officially we know nothing about this initiative... However, Mr. Ischinger's idea raises legitimate questions. First of all, because all four countries mentioned are participants in the conflict with Russia taking place on the territory of Ukraine".
According to the ministry, the above countries provide weapons, intelligence information, designate targets for the Ukrainian army, train the armed forces of Eastern European countries and even send mercenaries to the area of special military operations.
The ministry stated: "Those countries imposed illegal sanctions against Russia, froze Russian foreign assets, and demanded the establishment of a court to punish Russian leaders."
In addition, the Russian diplomatic agency said that the US, UK, France and Germany also supported the proposals of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which Moscow considered "unrealistic ultimatums demanding our country's surrender".
Moscow believes that, for those reasons, these countries "cannot act as mediators to initiate the peace process, because they are not interested in resolving the crisis but are doing everything to prolong the confrontation to the maximum extent."
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, a truly comprehensive, just and sustainable solution to the conflict is possible only "through the cessation of hostilities and the West stopping arms supplies to Ukraine.
In addition, it is necessary to "recognize the new territorial reality, demilitarize and de-fascize Ukraine, confirm Kiev's neutral and non-bloc status, abolish illegal sanctions against Russia, withdraw anti-Russian lawsuits, and restore the status of the Russian language."
In addition, it is necessary to "restore the rights of national minorities and friendly relations with Russia and other countries and peoples that are neighboring and close to Ukraine".
The US should start negotiations with Russia
Meanwhile, on the same day, in an article written for the Washington-based Quincy Institute's Responsible Statecraft Magazine, Institute Director George Beebe said that it was time for President Joe Biden's administration to "step on the gas pedal to negotiate with Russia" over Ukraine.
According to the expert, there are three major factors that show the US should do that, because they will "shape the outlook for the conflict in Ukraine", including:
First is the evolving situation on the ground, as Russian troops move closer to encircling Bakhmut in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, while Kiev's forces "appear to be on the verge of their first significant defeat since last summer".
According to Mr. Bieebe, this battle "is causing enormous damage to Ukraine".
The second factor is US domestic policy. Over the months, Washington’s popular view of Russia’s special military operation “has become increasingly polarized, with Republicans increasingly questioning the leading power’s goals and the extent of its support for Kiev.”
The former director of Russia analysis for the Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA) said: "Although Mr. Biden's Ukraine policy has received overwhelming bipartisan support over the past year, it is likely to face increasing political opposition in the future."
The third factor , according to Mr. Beebe, is that China “gets active.”
Warning that Beijing's role as a mediator could draw Kiev's attention, the Quincy Institute director stressed: "Ukraine may have less bargaining leverage as its battlefield position stagnates and confidence in long-term US support erodes."
According to the hypothesis Mr. Beebe makes, perhaps for different reasons, “both Ukraine and Russia may find China increasingly attractive as a potential mediator, even if neither is ready to make significant concessions.”
“It is not too late for the Biden administration to find a way out of this potential trap by stepping on the ‘gas pedal’ of negotiations with Russia. But it is not too early to say that the window of opportunity for US diplomacy is at risk of narrowing,” the expert noted.
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