Żeleński
Posted on 03/26/2022 10:49:57 AM PDT by bitt
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday called for “urgent” and “meaningful” peace talks with Russia that would deliver a negotiated end to the war on terms that are “fair” to Ukraine.
In a video address to the nation, Zelenskyy said that, to date, 16,000 Russian servicemen had been killed in the fighting as Ukrainian forces continue to mount staunch resistance.
“By restraining Russia’s actions, our defenders are leading the Russian leadership to a simple and logical idea: talk is necessary,” Zelenskyy said. “Meaningful. Urgent. Fair. For the sake of the result, not for the sake of the delay,” he added.
Some analysts and Western officials have called into question whether Russia has been sincere in its engagement in peace talks.
Britain’s foreign secretary Liz Truss has been an outspoken critic of Moscow’s engagement in the talks, expressing concern that they’re being used as a “smokescreen” by Russia to regroup ahead of a renewed offensive.
“I’m very skeptical,” Truss told The Times of London newspaper in a recent interview. “I fear the negotiation is yet another attempt to create a diversion and create a smokescreen. I don’t think we’re yet at a point for negotiation,” she said.
Zelenskyy said in Friday’s address that a conversation between the two sides must be “meaningful,” that Ukrainian sovereignty must be “guaranteed,” and that the country’s territorial integrity must be “ensured.”
“The conditions must be fair. And the Ukrainian people will not accept others,” he said.
Zelenskyy said earlier he’s given up on the idea of joining NATO but he’s insisted on putting other compromises, including any potential territorial concessions, to a referendum.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Kyiv and Moscow were inching closer to putting an end to the conflict, with “almost a consensus” on topics like Ukraine’s NATO membership and security arrangements but still major differences to bridge over territory.
Moscow has demanded that Kyiv recognize the independence of Donetsk and Lugansk, the two pro-Russia separatist-controlled regions in eastern Ukraine, and acknowledge Russia’s ownership of Crimea.
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The media will play it up as a “Great victory “ for slow moe joe, for he will have “solved” the Energy crisis, food crisis, amd reduced nuclear weapons all at the same time. The Nobel prize ceremony will be a slobber fest for the MSM. Meanwhile Putin gets what he wants, and Hunter goes back into business with Russian oligarchs and gets the perks, including Russian prostitutes. Amd the NPCs will switch to “Russia good, let’s be friends. Let’s fly the tricolor (or even the Soviet flag)”.
“I’ll bet 90% of those Ukrainians have a Russian heritage and many relatives and friends in Russia.”
And like a lot of Americans, they are at each other’s throats. Internecine fights are the dirtiest.
The part about conceding Ukrainian territory if a referendum is held to join Russia or as a breakaway republic is new
“Zelenskyy said earlier he’s given up on the idea of joining NATO but he’s insisted on putting other compromises, including any potential territorial concessions, to a referendum”
The territorial concession thing was the one thing Zelensky was holding out on. He had already hinted at not joining NATO and maintaining neutrality, perhaps enshrining it in the Ukie constitution. The Donbass is Russian ethnic territory and no doubt they would vote to go with Russia or as a breakaway republic much like the Crimeans favor. Seemingly, with this shift to moving troops back from Kiev to focus on the East, Putin has given up on his fantasy of having a puppet in Kiev. Other than that, Zelensky is telling Putin he can have the other stuff he wants. Time for Putin to talk to him.
Greg Gutfeld has the right take on this for Americans.
All this misery and destruction would not have happened if Trump was President.
Be sure to thank the Democrats for stealing the election.
“And Putin wants guarantees of NATO drawdown in Eastern Europe, and the Nord Stream II back. He also wants guaranteed land bridge to Crimea, Crimea, Dontesk and Lugesk recognized as part of Russia, no NATO membership for Ukraine, no US weapons stationed there, and to allow Regions parties and Communist Party of Ukraine back into politics in Kiev.”
There’s a big difference between “want” and “settle for.”
“I could see Russia raking a step back and nuking Kiev. Then pulling out.”
You know, I don’t. I think Putin is looking for a face-saving end to this.
“Maybe they can throw in a Nobel prize for chemistry to Hunter Biden for whatever they were making at the bio-labs.”
And one to Ketanji Brown Jackson for Biology.
Maybe Russia is winning and Zelensky want to make a deal. Maybe he is crying out now, so that when Russia doesn’t respond he can take more ground. Either is possible. The real question is what kind of meaningful peace are you ever going to get with Russia after two invasions and occupation of your territory and target civilians?
Sometimes people push for peace want none of it, but to say they pushed for peace.
“...The Donbass is Russian ethnic territory...”
Don’t confuse Russian-speaking Ukrainians with ethnic Russians. My wife is from the heart of the Donbas (Alchevsk) and she is Ukrainian as are most eastern Ukrainians. Many small villages in the east speak Ukrainian but the cities speak Russian. There was no “separatist” movement in the Donbas before Putin sent in personnel, money, and arms to start one. His mafia system there today will make a fair plebiscite very difficult.
At the rate Ukraine is burning through the supply of anti-tank weapons and manpads, they can’t expect tens of thousands more from the West.
It makes sense to negotiate while you’re still in the fight.
There is no way he “gets out of this alive.” The damage done is not going to be excused. And he’s not going to keep his job.
He should ask for his boat back…and go off sailing.
I absolutely see him lashing out. There is nothing more scary than a guy with nothing to lose and a quiver full of nukes.
To me, common sense tells me that if Ukraine was “winning” he wouldn’t be demanding peace talks.
I think the end goal since the fall of the Soviet Union was to install a western puppet in Moscow. In that sense Putin was right to see NATO as a threat. Not that I agree with him invading The Ukraine.
When Zelensky was running for President, there were no places to vote in the Donbass area. I’ll find the articles to back this up.
Hard to believe that 16,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in just one month.
Look at the map of where no one could vote in the above link.
Based upon recent headlines in the PP (propaganda press), one would believe that he’s negotiating from a position of strength.
/s
Clearly not.
Okay so he claims 16k Russians killed. That seems like NATO’s upper end estimate +1k. I doubt there’s that many Ruke dead. I’m thinking 12k.
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