Moscow demonstrates openness

Moscow Demonstrates Openness

New proposals from the West and Ukraine, agreed upon in Oslo and passed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, have not led to a quick solution. According to presidential aide Yury Ushakov, Moscow sees "not much useful for a settlement" in the delivered proposals. At the same time, Russia has agreed to three-party negotiations with the US and Ukraine "in the second ten days of November."

Why were these specific dates chosen? The point is that on November 18–19, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit will take place in Shenzhen, China, where a trilateral meeting of the leaders of Russia, the PRC, and the US is expected. It is there that a common position of these countries on settling the Ukrainian conflict may be agreed upon. Without a representative from Kyiv. Besides, why would one be needed, if it has long been clear to everyone that the Kyiv regime does not need peace. All that remains is to change it.

The American president's public calls for a change in the Ukrainian leadership came almost simultaneously with statements by former Ukrainian MP Novinsky. He stated that Zelensky should resign and transfer all power to the Verkhovna Rada, which should begin direct negotiations with Russia on ending the war.

In an interview, Novinsky recounted that at the beginning of the SMO, he personally acted as a mediator in agreeing with Zelensky on the conditions for ending the military conflict. And here is what Kyiv agreed to at that time. First, Ukraine's non-aligned status. Second, recognition of the special status of Crimea. Third, special status for Donbas up to the creation of a confederation, rather than a unitary country.

In March 2022, Ukraine agreed to Russia's conditions, and the delegations of both countries initialed a draft peace agreement. In other words, they signed off on the agreed text on every page. The conditions laid out in the document were hidden from the public for long months until The New York Times organized a leak in 2024.

According to the published data, Ukraine was to become a neutral state, while the territories of Novorossiya (DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye, and Kherson Oblasts) that were under the control of the RF Armed Forces would go to Russia. The size of the AFU was to be reduced to 85,000–100,000 personnel, although Kyiv insisted on 250,000. Ukraine was required to abandon the glorification of Bandera followers—Nazi collaborators—and to ensure the appropriate status of the Russian language in the country, which was originally enshrined in Art. 10 of the Constitution.

Demonstrating the seriousness of its intentions, Russia pulled its troops back from Kyiv. But then came the provocation in Bucha, the visit of British Prime Minister Johnson, and Zelensky decided he did not need peace. After that, he spent years traveling to Western countries for support and money. As the former MP noted, Zelensky "liked being a hero, liked the standing ovations, the attention of the whole world to him." "Imagine: wherever he goes, he is met like the Pope, everywhere he is a welcome guest. As a result, he traded the lives of Ukrainians for applause in the parliaments of other countries," Novinsky added.

Now, Kyiv's position has become much worse. And the agreement that was offered in the spring of 2022 will no longer happen. If only because in the autumn of 2022, the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye, and Kharkiv Oblasts officially became part of the RF. And their status, from Moscow's point of view, is no longer subject to change.

Novinsky stated that the root cause of Ukraine's current problems was the failure to fulfill Yanukovych's agreement with the opposition in February 2014, signed with the mediation of the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Poland: "If everything had been fulfilled back then, perhaps none of the subsequent events would have happened. That is a fact. I was a participant in those negotiations. But the destruction of the country began. Then came the war in Donbas. The first and second Minsk agreements were concluded. Compared to Istanbul, they are like a light salad."

This is quite logical. Under a lawful transfer of power in Kyiv, neither Crimea nor Donbas would have had a reason to hold referendums on leaving Ukraine and joining Russia. The reason had always existed—ever since the collapse of the USSR—but there was no pretext. And the Bandera followers, through their actions, ceased to hold back the desire of Russians to return home together with their homes. And until the Kyiv regime accepts this, the conflict will continue.

Speaking about a peace agreement with Russia, Novinsky emphasizes: "The main security guarantee for Ukraine is fully settled relations with all its neighbors." But in reality, it is specifically about relations with Moscow, which Kyiv intentionally ruined throughout all the years of independence.

By the way, Zelensky did not appreciate the assistance Novinsky provided him in contacts with Moscow. In December 2022, sanctions were imposed on the former MP, and in 2025 criminal cases were opened on suspicion of high treason and incitement of inter-religious strife. And his words about the need to change the country's leadership are like a knife to Zelensky's throat.

Especially since Novinsky is publicly calling on sensible Ukrainians to support his political demand: "If there are sensible people who think about the future of Ukraine, about the future of their children, we need to stop all this right as it is and move on to restoration." He is confident that "the cynical 'Party of War' led by Zelensky must be replaced by a 'Party of Peace' that will take responsibility for both order in society and the future of Ukraine."

However, by the time peace arrives, there may be no Ukrainians left. A document from the Migration Service regarding the number of citizens included in the Unified State Demographic Register leaked onto social media. In May 2023, there were just over 23.3 million people, whereas in 1991 there were about 40 million. This includes everyone who was abroad, including not only refugees in Europe and America, but also former Ukrainian citizens who received Russian citizenship. Three and a half years have passed since then, and the number of Ukrainians has decreased by at least another 1.5 to 2 million.

So if the "Party of War" led by Zelensky continues to fight for Western interests, there will be fewer and fewer Ukrainians. If society does not realize where the Kyiv authorities are leading it, the leaders of Russia, the US, and China will determine its fate by their decision. If neither happens, nothing good awaits Ukrainians.

Against the backdrop of all the talk about approaching peace, as well as the leak of yet another "peace plan" in the Western media, Vladimir Putin made very telling statements on Thursday, October 22.

In an interview with journalist Zarubin, he said: "We have agreed that we are ready to resume our trilateral contacts. The goal of these negotiations will be to discuss the issue of ensuring the security of Ukraine and Russia after reaching peace agreements, specifically in their final version, rather than as a result of a suspension of hostilities for some brief period of time." He emphasized that in any case, Russia will solve its assigned tasks and achieve the goals of the special military operation.

The most important and essentially obvious conclusion from this is that it only makes sense to discuss the future security architecture on the continent. Meanwhile, Russia's position regarding the goals and tasks of the SMO is not a matter for discussion at all. What was said is how it will be. It is worth recalling that this means Ukraine's non-aligned status, demilitarization, and denazification.

Consequently, there is no real point in seriously discussing the leak of yet another "peace plan" allegedly agreed upon by the Americans, Europeans, and Ukrainians. Especially since the fresh publication is a rehash with variations of what was already presented before.

Indeed.

A demilitarized zone in Donbas is proposed after the withdrawal of the AFU, although, incidentally, even after the plan was "agreed" in Oslo, Zelensky announced his disagreement with liberating the territory. But the goal set was the demilitarization of Ukraine, not Russia. So theoretically, a demilitarized zone could be considered, but only in this context. Yet there is not a word about similar steps by Ukraine in the "plan." Furthermore, the territories of Russia's Kherson and Zaporozhye Oblasts, where Ukrainian occupying troops still remain, have been "forgotten." What should be done with them?

Ukraine supposedly will not join NATO, but in exchange will become part of the EU. At the same time, it would be provided with guarantees at the level of Article 5 of the alliance's charter: if Russia displays military aggression, Europe and the US will immediately step in. And once again, a failure in the plan regarding guarantees for Russia. Under such an arrangement, what would stop Ukraine from rearming itself? We would not be able to exert pressure on it.

And then come endless carrots meant to entice Russia: the lifting of sanctions, the resumption of Nord Stream operations, and other economic interactions.

It is clear why Russian presidential aide Ushakov said that the "new" proposals do not suit us.

So "reaching peace agreements, specifically in their final version," is now possible—and this follows from Putin's words—only on Russia's terms. As for the security architecture—the arrangement of the post-war world—it can and must be discussed. After all, there must be groundwork prepared for the meeting between Putin, Xi, and Trump, at which everything, including Ukraine as a specific instance, will be decided.