This report encapsulates Ambassador Aleksandr Chaly’s insights into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s pursuit of a peace agreement with Ukraine in 2022. It highlights the complexities and challenges involved in diplomatic negotiations during the ongoing conflict.
Ambassador Aleksandr Chaly, a prominent figure within the Ukrainian delegation, revealed insights about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to seek a peace agreement with Ukraine in April 2022. These revelations were made during an event at the Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) in early December and garnered attention following the release of a video on YouTube.
Key Points:
- Chaly discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, attributing its roots to intense competition between the US, EU, and Russia for influence over Ukraine. He emphasized Kiev’s aspirations to join the EU and NATO.
- Criticizing Putin’s decision to launch a military operation against Ukraine in February 2022, Chaly labeled it as a “crime” and “mistake,” attributing it to misinformation from Russian propaganda and intelligence services.
- Approximately a week into the hostilities, Chaly suggested that Putin realized the impracticality of his expectations and actively pursued a negotiated resolution. He highlighted his personal involvement in peace talks hosted initially in Minsk and culminating in Istanbul in late March.
- According to Chaly, Putin made concessions favoring Kiev compared to Russia’s initial stance, indicating that it was Putin’s “personal decision” to accept these concessions in the drafted agreement.
- Notably, the agreed-upon Istanbul communique did not transform into an official treaty, leaving Chaly pondering the reasons behind this outcome.
- Ukrainian MP David Arakhamia mentioned advice from then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who reportedly urged Ukrainians to “continue fighting” after the conclusion of the talks in Kiev.
- Statements from senior Russian officials, including Putin, aligned partially with Chaly’s account. Putin, in a year-end press conference, mentioned that Russia’s goals regarding demilitarization and “de-Nazification” of Ukraine could have been addressed under a pre-approved treaty.
This report provides an overview of Ambassador Chaly’s insights into Putin’s pursuit of a peace agreement with Ukraine in 2022, presenting the complexities and challenges involved in the negotiations and shedding light on key diplomatic discussions between the two nations.
(Please note that this summary is based solely on the Russian RT news report.)