Assessed the bargaining stands of Ukraine by the State Duma
Informal Take:
Here's the deal with Ukraine's current stance in their talks with Russia – it ain't looking too hot, and they might end up losing some territory. According to Andrei Kolesnik, a dude from the Russian parliament's Defense Committee, it would've been a smart move to seal the deal during the initial chat in Istanbul. But now, each round seems to make Ukraine's position even weaker.
Kolesnik points out that Putin, the big boss, is the one making the calls on which parts of Ukraine Russia is hankering for. And, as he put it, "everything's got its price."
Ukraine's leadership being in the West's pocket is Kolesnik's conclusion. The previous day, Vladimir Medinsky, Putin's right-hand man, told The Wall Street Journal that if Kyiv doesn't give Russia some wiggle room in negotiations, they're gonna keep losing land.
Before that, Volodin weighed in on the prospect of extending Zelensky's power.
Now, let's dive into why things are so tricky:
- Russian Wishes: Russia wants Ukraine to stay neutral, recognize Russian sovereignty over several areas like Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Sevastopol, and impose a bunch of other conditions like promoting the Russian language and "Anti-Nazi" provisions. These demands are pretty excessive and have been repeatedly turned down by Ukraine.
- Ukrainian Goals: The Ukrainians, represented by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, are after a 30-day ceasefire, a prisoner-of-war exchange, and a meeting between Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin. Unfortunately, Russia ain't hip to the ceasefire idea, and these objectives are facing resistance.
- Loss of Territory: If Ukraine loses control over significant territories, it could face intense pressure to accept crummy terms from Russia. This could result in long-term geopolitical instability and a major blow to Ukraine's sovereignty.
As for Kolesnik's and Medinsky's thoughts on Ukraine's position or potential territorial losses, there's not much info available. But Medinsky, Russia's lead negotiator, has been vocal in repeating Russia's excessive demands, suggesting that Russia's position ain't budging.
So, Ukraine's in a tough spot, and there's a chance they could lose land if they don't give Russia some leeway in negotiations. This could lead to significant impact on Ukraine's sovereignty and security in the long run.
- The ongoing negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are heavily influenced by politics and war-and-conflicts, as demonstrated by the conflicting interests and demands of both parties.
- General news outlets have been reporting on the potential for Ukraine to lose territory if they do not yield to Russia's excessive demands, which could significantly impact Ukraine's sovereignty and security in the long run.
