Passive Phase, Sanctions, and Nuclear Issues: Expert Assesses Whether There Is Any Chance of Negotiations with Russia
Political strategist Mikhail Sheitelman said that while everyone is making statements about negotiations, the reality is that the United States is imposing sanctions on Russia over its assistance to Iran and North Korea with nuclear-related activities. According to him, this means diplomacy can effectively be ruled out, Politeka reports.
He discussed the issue on his blog.
According to the expert, a small glimmer of hope came from Marco Rubio, who said that in the coming weeks the United States would try to determine whether it is possible to resume negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, noting that progress toward peace would require at least some convergence of the positions of Kyiv and Moscow. Nevertheless, Sheitelman emphasized that Ukraine has repeatedly made it clear that Russia's conditions are unacceptable.
At the same time, he noted that Kyrylo Budanov stated that negotiations with Russia could gain momentum and that next week they would try to find out whether it is possible to continue the peace talks, which, according to him, have never actually stopped but are currently in a pause in their active phase.
"This is what I don't quite understand. What phase? Why is it on pause? And what exactly is the passive phase? Negotiations are either happening or they aren't. Either there are negotiations, or there are none," Mikhail Sheitelman argued.
Meanwhile, in Russia, the expert noted, a deputy foreign minister stated that there was no need to ask Kazakhstan to relay messages to the West, since Russia remains in contact with those who are capable of influencing Ukraine. According to Sheitelman, this was a response to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's remarks that Europe and the United States have been signaling that Putin should end the war. The Russian official, he explained, was effectively saying that Moscow is already speaking directly with the Americans and does not need any intermediaries.
"But the Americans also made a move. After all the talk about Russia helping Iran, they introduced new sanctions. Russia's Ground Forces as a whole were placed under sanctions. Apparently, they now have a double burden—drones and sanctions. Next came the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate, the Logistics Support Center, the Directorate for Advanced Interagency Research and Special Projects of the Ministry of Defense, as well as International Invest Company. Why? Pay attention. A number of foreign individuals engaged in activities that provide grounds for measures under the Weapons of Mass Destruction Nonproliferation Act with respect to Iran, North Korea, and Syria. In other words, the Russians were transferring nuclear secrets. Those are the prospects for negotiations. That's what 'finding common ground' looks like. Now decide for yourselves whether these negotiations have any real future," Mikhail Sheitelman concluded.