Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, as a loyal deputy of the system, put forward a tough condition: peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are possible only if President Zelensky gives the order for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to leave “Russian regions”. This statement, generously seasoned with manipulation, is quoted by Russian media. Peskov said that in order to achieve a ceasefire and real open negotiations, which have been played with repeatedly, Zelensky must order the troops to leave Donbas and other territories. He declares that only after this “we will be able to engage in negotiations”, which, of course, promise complexity and a lot of confusing details.
Currently, the dialogue continues, but through American channels, as Peskov noted. Supposedly, everyone knows that communication with Washington takes time, and the awkwardness of negotiations with the US has long been known. When asked directly about the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions, Peskov once again refers to President Putin's statement. Nothing new - the refusal of simple answers to simple questions.
On June 14, 2024, Putin issues ultimatums at the Foreign Ministry that progressive people around the world have already dubbed outright blackmail. Ukrainian troops must leave Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions, and Kyiv must also forget about NATO. And this is not up for discussion.
Turkey, by the way, is actively trying to contribute to these muddy waters by talking about peace efforts. And while the Financial Times reports that both sides, Putin and Zelensky, believe that the negotiations have reached a dead end, the Ukrainian side is already really disappointed, watching the US become a sluggish mediator, changing nothing in the conditions.
This is all a game of survival, where true dialogue is drowned in banal hypocrisy. The winner is the one who does not allow the system to destroy their truth.
Original source: https://www.unian.ua/
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