Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday, August 22, swiftly hampered U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to convene a trilateral meeting between the Russians, Americans and Ukrainians, telling NBC news that the Kremlin is “not ready at all.”
The sentiment expressed by Russia’s top diplomat casts doubt over the perceived relative success of the meeting between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and key European allies on August 18, where the transcontinental coalition expressed urgency in bringing the war to end and securing a peace deal.
During the meeting, the American president flirted with Moscow’s idea of negotiating without a ceasefire. For Zelenskyy and his allies, entering discussions without stopping the fighting is a non-starter, fearing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s territorial ambitions could make them his next target.
Read more: Analysing Alaska: Putin’s triumph, Trump’s takedown, and Ukraine’s uncertain future
In an interview with POLITICO, veteran U.S. diplomat and negotiator Richard Haass called ruling out a ceasefire a “big tactical error” which will most likely “prolong the war and make it difficult, if not impossible, to succeed.”
So, what will it take to bring Putin and Lavrov to the table?
In short, this means Ukraine agreeing to give up all of the eastern Donbas region, renouncing their ambitions to join NATO, and keeping Western troops out of the country, according to three sources familiar with top-level Kremlin thinking.
The Kremlin said Putin is ready to meet his Ukrainian counterpart once the presidential agenda is prepared for a summit, accusing Zelenskyy of stalling negotiations by “saying no to everything.”
This rhetoric is reflective of a wider Russian attempt to “stretch [the war] out,” according to NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Andrea Mitchell.
With the European Parliament in summer recess until August 25, Putin has looked to capitalize on this lull and evade their watchful eye.
In the days since Monday’s White House powwow, Russia carried out its largest attack in over a month, with two cruise missiles taking out an American electronics factory in Western Ukraine, wounding at least 15. The White House has yet to comment.
The Russian military has also increased its compensation to encourage recruitment, with new military contracts promising monthly earnings of around 200,000 rubles ($2,155 USD)- roughly 2.4 times higher than the average Russian salary.
With Lavrov’s latest rebuff, Trump’s wavering stance, and the Russian military ramping up their capacities, an end to this war seems to be nowhere in sight.
Featured image:
Image: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (left) and Vladimir Putin (right)
Author: Cyril S
Source: Wikimedia Commons
License: Creative Commons Licenses
