Russian official predicts end of Ukraine conflict

(Dan Tri) - The Russian Ambassador to Sweden admitted that it is difficult to predict when the Russia-Ukraine conflict will end.

Ukrainian soldiers fire at Russia in Donetsk (Photo: Reuters).

"It is difficult to predict the timeline for resolving the conflict. The conflict will end when Ukraine and its Western sponsors understand that a peaceful solution is inevitable," Russian Ambassador to Sweden Sergey Belyayev said in an interview with Finnish newspaper Iltalehti on December 23.

"Such solutions are always achieved through dialogue and mutual compromise," the Russian diplomat stressed.

Leonid Slutsky, Chairman of the Russian State Duma (Lower House) Foreign Affairs Committee and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), expressed optimism that US President-elect Donald Trump really wants to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

"I believe that he really wants to end the conflict in Ukraine. Such an achievement would serve his interests as the next US president. The question remains: with whom will he negotiate and which side is legitimate? It will require an unconventional approach," Slutsky told reporters on December 23.

“However, those committed to peace will seek to engage in such dialogue, as long as their intentions are sincere. We must always hope and continue to work towards a solution,” the Russian official stressed.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is about to enter its fourth year and is expected to end soon with the mediation of President-elect Trump. Mr. Trump has repeatedly stated that he could end the war within 24 hours.

So far, both Russia and Ukraine have left open the possibility of negotiations to end the conflict, but neither can accept the other's conditions. Moscow has made it clear that it will end the conflict if Kiev recognizes the territories it has annexed and pledges neutrality. Meanwhile, Kiev has declared that it will never make territorial concessions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has outlined conditions for resolving the conflict, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the eastern Donbass region, Kiev's refusal to join NATO, the lifting of Western sanctions against Russia and the establishment of a neutral, nuclear-free status for Ukraine.

In an interview with French newspaper Le Parisien this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that Kiev is unlikely to be able to take back the Donbass regions (including Lugansk and Donetsk) and the Crimean peninsula by force.

Earlier, the Washington Post reported that European members of NATO are increasingly confident in the scenario that the Russia-Ukraine conflict could end with Kiev having to make territorial concessions, despite Ukraine's continued objections.

Some European countries are seeing a “quiet but growing shift” toward a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, in which Russia would take control of some territory claimed by Ukraine and the West would offer Kiev some security guarantees.

US news agency Bloomberg quoted officials as saying that Ukraine will be forced to make territorial concessions to resolve the conflict with Russia, regardless of whether Kiev receives any support from the administration of US President Joe Biden in the final weeks of his term.

According to Bloomberg , Kiev is facing a "bitter solution" of having to accept giving up territorial claims as well as NATO membership in exchange for security guarantees.

In its sixth assessment of the loan to Ukraine released last weekend, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted two scenarios related to the Russia-Ukraine war.

The baseline scenario assumes the conflict will end by the end of 2025, while the worse-case scenario predicts the war will continue until mid-2026, significantly affecting economic stability.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/quan-chuc-nga-nhan-dinh-thoi-diem-cham-dut-xung-dot-ukraine-20241223185147512.htm