Expert Explains Why Agreeing to Short Ceasefires with Russia Is a Mistake: “They’ll Later Present It as an Achievement”

talks in Istanbul

Political strategist Mykhailo Sheitelman stated that Russia’s goals in negotiations are cynical: short ceasefires to rescue their wounded and exchange prisoners—things that could be done without a truce, according to Politeka.

He shared this in his blog.

"The Ukrainian delegation went in saying, 'We are going to demand a ceasefire.' We proposed a 30-day ceasefire back in April, if I recall correctly. We’re ready for a ceasefire, but nothing at all is happening. Medinsky announced that they once again proposed that the Ukrainian side consider short ceasefires along the front line to collect their wounded and the bodies of their soldiers. We heard this two months ago. Arrivederci. They’ll later present this as a result. Putin will call Trump and say, ‘We proposed a ceasefire, right?’” Sheitelman commented.

As Medinsky explained, Sheitelman says, medical teams are at too much risk in the gray zone because of drones during evacuations. But, the expert emphasizes, Ukraine will not allow Russia to retrieve their wounded from the front line, because these are offensive troops—they must understand that coming onto Ukrainian soil means death.

The only achievement in these new talks with Russia, Sheitelman states, is the exchange of prisoners and bodies of dead soldiers. While that is, of course, good news, he notes, it’s not real progress.

“And you see, there’s a certain cynicism on Russia’s part. They initiated these fake negotiations that Putin came up with in May on the day of shame for the Russian Federation, and the Russians are using the prisoner exchange as a facade for these talks—to pretend they are genuine. That’s a fact. And this prisoner exchange could have happened anyway. These prisoners could have been home sooner. But no, the Russians needed to present it as a result of the negotiations,” Sheitelman explains.

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