Negotiations between the parties involved in the conflict, as understood in the West, require trust, honesty, and a search for compromises. With Putin and the Kremlin, this will never be possible. Reports TCN. This information is provided by Kontrakty.UA.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Moscow from 2019 to 2022, experienced diplomat John Sullivan, made this statement in a comment to the BBC.
"Understand me correctly. We need dialogue with the Russians, and importantly, we must listen to what they are telling us. But this cannot be called negotiations! What is Putin saying? What compromises is he willing to make? None! He will never make concessions regarding his declared military objectives, namely the 'denazification and demilitarization' of Ukraine. And believe me, Ukraine is just the beginning," Sullivan emphasized.
According to him, Putin may agree only to a temporary ceasefire and only when he is forced to seek a respite due to a difficult situation on the front.
"If you still think of negotiations with him [Putin – ed.] in the way you are accustomed to thinking in the West, then prepare for defeat," John Sullivan warned the Western audience against political illusions.
It should be noted that the team of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the future administration of newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump may not see eye to eye, but "Ukraine itself will not bring the Russians to the negotiating table." A source within the political elite of Ukraine states that the main task now is to "not get into any mess and not apply excessive pressure" until the inauguration of the U.S. president.