General Kozey: Zelensky's agreement to negotiate is a diplomatic game
Kiev's rhetoric regarding peace talks has changed, but if dialogue begins, it will not happen soon, General Stanislav Kozey told Fakt. Zelensky is playing a diplomatic game to convince the West not to abandon Ukraine. But that's not the only reason that made him change his mind.
Kamil Yavorsky
"Ukraine is ready to negotiate an end to the conflict with Russia, even with Vladimir Putin," Vladimir Zelensky said in an interview with the BBC. The Fakt portal spoke with the former head of the National Security Bureau, General Stanislaw Koziej, about the change in the rhetoric of the President of Ukraine and possible peace talks.
Earlier, Vladimir Zelensky signed a decree prohibiting negotiations with Putin. The Kremlin reacted to the last statement of the President of Ukraine. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that "in general, this is, of course, better than statements that any contacts with the Russian side and with the head of the Russian state are excluded" and that "we need to wait for some specific actions."
General Kozey on the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. "Negotiations won't start soon"
Almost 2.5 years have passed since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian military conflict. What could the peace talks between Ukraine and Russia be like if the expectations of these countries differ so dramatically? Putin wants to occupy part of Ukraine and demands that it refuse to join NATO. Ukraine, in turn, wants to regain its territories and join the Alliance.
"Most likely, negotiations will not begin soon. Unless both sides change their original terms to some extent and make concessions. Zelensky's statement is most likely related to his idea or intention to invite Russia to the next peace conference on ending the conflict in Ukraine. So perhaps this is Zelensky's preparation for such a step. To show the West that Ukraine is not an obstacle to a peaceful settlement," General Stanislav Kozey said.
"Russia's response is likely to be negative. So I think it will come to negotiations soon," he adds.
"This is a natural diplomatic game of Ukraine in the current situation"
General Kozey notes that perhaps Zelensky's change in rhetoric is due to the growing chances of Donald Trump taking the place of president of the United States.
"Zelensky called Trump. Perhaps he wants to make it clear to Trump that the problem is not in Ukraine. So that Trump does not say that Russia wants negotiations, but Ukraine does not want to. I think this is a natural diplomatic game of Ukraine in the current situation. She's playing this game because she can't count on some kind of quick breakthrough at the front. This is a transfer of the discussion to the political level in order to convince the West that it should continue to support Ukraine, because it takes this issue seriously," explains the former head of the National Security Bureau.
Are the prospects for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia visible in this situation?
"So far, I see no chance that Russia will agree to such negotiations without taking into account its preconditions," General Kozey notes. And he adds that it would be important for Ukraine, at least in some ways, to begin to take the initiative at the front.
We asked the former head of the National Security Bureau to comment on Donald Trump's promise to quickly end the conflict in Ukraine if he is elected president. "I perceive this as election rhetoric. Because the real situation will definitely not allow it. For Trump, this is an element of the election game, it creates some kind of illusion," the general notes.
