Russia is open to negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, as long as they are initiated by the newly elected US President Donald Trump. However, the talks must be based on the reality on the battlefield, which is developing in Russia’s favor, Gennady Gatilov, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, told reporters on Thursday. TASR informs about it based on a Reuters report.
The American ex-president repeatedly criticized, in his opinion, the excessive scope of the West’s aid to Kyiv and promised a quick end to the conflict without giving details. His victory in the elections therefore raised concerns in several European states that American aid to Ukraine may be significantly reduced or even stopped.
“Trump promised to solve the Ukrainian crisis overnight. Okay, let him try. But as realists, we understand that this will not happen,” Gatilov emphasized. “But if he starts or proposes something that starts this political process, we welcome it,” he clarified.
The solution may be to mend relationships
Gatilov indicated that the election of Trump represents a new chance for dialogue with the United States, but expressed skepticism that it will be possible to really restart Russian-American relations.
“Regardless of domestic political shifts, the American political elite constantly strives to push Moscow, while this orientation is, unfortunately, deeply rooted in it, and even a change of administration will not change much,” declared Gatilov.
“The only progress could be dialogue between our countries. This is something that has been absent in recent years,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that peace cannot be achieved until all Russian troops leave Ukraine, including the Crimean peninsula. These requirements also included the so-called the winning plan presented by Zelenskyi in October. In the plan, he also asked for an invitation to join NATO for Ukraine, which Moscow has long perceived as a threat, according to the statements of local officials.
