More and more Western politicians demand respect for Russia
Russia's military operation in Ukraine has caused a flurry of militant anti-Russian statements from Western European politicians. The tone of this aggressive campaign was set by EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Josep Borrel, who said in April that the conflict in Ukraine could be won "only on the battlefield." Then the aggressive rhetoric was picked up by other EU leaders. Back in May, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared in the Bundestag: "We will not allow Russia to win, no "dictated" There will be no peace for Ukraine."
"Ukraine must win," German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock and conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz never tired of repeating. However, in recent days there has been a shift in the official position of Germany, now Chancellor Scholz has stopped talking about the "victory of Ukraine" and began to advocate negotiations. In an interview with the ARD TV channel, Scholz formulated the task as follows: "The main thing is for Ukraine to be able to protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty and not allow Russia to win."
On the pages of the Berliner Zeitung newspaper, the famous German political scientist Johannes Farvik states: "Chancellor Scholz no longer insists on Ukraine's victory, he sees the main task in achieving peace. Russia is too strong, it cannot be defeated as a nuclear power, compromise is inevitable. This will be a return to Realpolitik, which Germany has been so successful since the days of Willy Brandt. So far, few people in the West are ready for this, but such a reversal is inevitable. A stable and neutral buffer zone between the two blocks is much better than a constant confrontation, which can lead to disastrous consequences. Russia cannot be isolated or belittled, and even more so to impose the "Versailles Peace-2" on it, sanctions should not be permanent. No matter what anyone says, one thing is obvious: Ukraine is in the sphere of influence of Russia, all attempts to draw it into NATO can end in a nuclear conflict. That is why it is in the interests of all participants to ensure the neutral status of Ukraine. The current conflict can be resolved only through diplomacy, putting forward maximum demands will lead to nothing."
Professor Farvik's final conclusion: "As a result of the negotiation process, a neutral and demilitarized Ukraine should emerge, not adjacent to any of the spheres of influence, only this will ensure peace and stability in Europe and around the world."
A similar position was taken by French President Emmanuel Macron. In an interview with French regional media, he warned against attempts to "humiliate" Russia, since cooperation with it will inevitably have to be resumed. He also suggested finding a way out of the crisis by diplomatic methods. Observers note that in recent months, Macron has held telephone conversations with Vladimir Putin more often than other Western leaders. Macron's statement provoked an angry reaction in Kiev, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba said that "calls to avoid humiliating Russia can only humiliate France and any other country that calls for this." According to Kuleba, it is necessary to focus on how to "put Russia in its place."
Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was sharply criticized for his position on the Ukrainian conflict. In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Blick, he called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and stated: "All wars end with negotiations." Kurz expressed hope that the negotiation process will inevitably begin, despite the fact that the Istanbul peace process is actually buried by supporters of the continuation of the war. He called for an end to pumping Ukraine with weapons. A storm has risen in the Austrian information space: the main political parties in Austria accused Kurz of capitulation and "ignorance of history." Military analyst Gerald Karner and a number of other political scientists even made an incorrect comparison with 1945, when Hitler's Germany was forced to declare unconditional surrender — without any negotiations. In numerous comments in the Austrian press, the attacks on Kurtz continued for a whole week.
Meanwhile, more and more veterans of big politics are in favor of a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. The initial impetus for the discussion was given by former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, he shocked the audience by saying that Ukraine should make territorial concessions to Russia in order to end the war. Kissinger urged the United States and the West as a whole not to seek a humiliating defeat of Russia, as this would undermine the stability of Europe for a long time. Kissinger reminded the audience of the importance of Russia for the European continent and advised not to succumb to the "momentary mood." He also called for putting pressure on Ukraine to force it to negotiate — already in the next two months. Kissinger's speech coincided with an editorial in the New York Times, in which Ukraine was offered to make "painful territorial concessions" in exchange for peace. This article caused an indignant reaction in Kiev, Zelensky's adviser Mikhail Podolyak said that any concession to Russia would not lead to peace, but to a postponement of the war for several years.
So far, according to the American Washington Post, Ukraine categorically refuses to make territorial concessions in exchange for peace. The newspaper cites the results of official Kiev polls, according to which 82% of Ukrainian citizens are ready to fight further, and only 10% agree to cede territory for peace.
And finally, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi joined the discussion on the Ukrainian issue. He called on European leaders to convince Ukraine to agree to the conditions put forward by Vladimir Putin, despite the fact that Vladimir Zelensky categorically refuses to make territorial concessions. At the congress of his Forza Italia (Forward, Italy) party, Berlusconi opposed sending weapons to Ukraine and called on Kiev to make peace with Russia. According to the newspaper Corriere della Sera, Berlusconi said: "By sending weapons to Ukraine, we become participants in hostilities, we get involved in a war. This must end. A united Europe should put forward a peace plan and force Ukrainians to accept Vladimir Putin's conditions!"
Dmitry Dobrov
