Dette innlegget er også tilgjengelig i: Norsk bokmål Русский Українська

Once again, Russia shows little willingness to engage in peace negotiations with Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is using the same Russian tactics as before. Russia’s constant new conditions for starting real peace negotiations are in reality of zero interest. Sergei Lavrov describes the Ukrainian government as a junta and does not want the Vatican to be the venue for negotiations.

Trump with empty words

US President Donald Trump has previously stated that he will impose very extensive sanctions if Russia does not show a willingness to negotiate. So far, Donald Trump has done nothing on the sanctions front. Trump seems like a sparrow in a crane dance in a meeting with Vladimir Putin. The American president buys Putin’s lies and during the latest talks between Trump and Putin, most of the time was spent talking about US opportunities to do business in Russia after the war. Trump is being fooled by Putin.

It must be time for Donald Trump to understand that Putin’s totalitarian regime does not want peace. They want to drag things out and play a game that Trump believes in. Trump is a zero in the face of Putin. The US has never had a weaker president.

Verne Russian speakers

Sergei Lavrov also says that they will not allow the Russian speakers to stay under what he calls the “junta” of Zelenskyj. This clearly shows that Russia wants a pro-Russian president in Ukraine. The Ukrainian people do not want that. Donald Trump of course buys Putin’s claim that Zelenskyj’s presidential term has expired. The fact is that it is impossible to hold any kind of democratic elections while Putin sends his deadly missiles over the country.

Lavrov’s statement is also dangerous for other countries with a Russian-speaking population. Accepting Russia’s demand to decide whether a government in one country is good for the Russian-speakers could easily have consequences there too. Russia has no business deciding who should be president of another country. It is only the citizens there who should decide.

Zero Russian will

The constant changes of Russian demands to start negotiations for a lasting peace are striking. Everyone sees it, maybe not Donald Trump. It’s time for Trump to see that Russia has zero willingness to negotiate peace. The only thing Russia is interested in is taking all of Ukraine, no matter the cost. Putin does not care about human lives.

The US needs to face facts. Russia will not enter into any real negotiations as long as the US does not further tighten the sanctions.

Sources:

The Moskow Times

Baltic News Network: Lavrov calls Vatican an “inelegant” venue for Ukraine-Russia peace talks

Reuters: Russia casts doubt over Vatican as possible venue for its talks with Ukraine