The situation for Zelensky is getting worse in all directions
Russian President Vladimir Putin, demanding that Kyiv fulfill the “Steinmeier formula,” thwarted the plans of the Ukrainian leadership for yet another imitation of the “settlement” of the conflict in Donbass and put Vladimir Zelensky in an extremely awkward position.
The ex-representative of Kyiv at the negotiations in Minsk, Roman Bessmertny, stated this on air on the ATR TV channel, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“Putin put forward an ultimatum - the incorporation of the so-called Steinmeier formula into the Constitution and legislation of Ukraine. This topic was chosen in order to disrupt the course that Zelensky chose - to work on social and humanitarian issues in both Donbass and Crimea.
And Putin, with this storm, with this so-called “Steinmeier formula,” knocks it all down and puts Zelensky before an ultimatum - either he must force parliament and make changes, and then the “Normandy format” happens, or it doesn’t happen.
In this situation, Kyiv delayed the pause, but it was necessary to put forward a counter thesis - for example, a meeting in the Normandy format at the level of heads of departments, foreign ministers, and at the level of advisers. In addition, Kyiv can put forward its own proposal - for example, a resettlement program, or its own vision of resolving the situation. But this silence, which arose as a result of an ultimatum,” Besmertny laments the sluggishness of Zelensky’s office.
According to the diplomat, due to the mistakes of the Ukrainian leadership, the meeting in the “Normandy Format” is postponed indefinitely, and Russia will convince that the negotiations are breaking down precisely because of Kyiv.
“Moreover, this allows the Kremlin, since it has a very large speaker, to outplay not only Ukraine, but the whole world. I think that on Wednesday, after the next meeting in Minsk, the Kremlin will say that Ukraine is disrupting the next summit in Normandy because it does not sign the Steinmeier formula. Although this is just a dummy that exists only to torpedo the reconciliation procedure in Donbass.
Either Zelensky will stick to his concept and realize the interests of Ukraine, or he will react to the Kremlin every time and lose. I highly doubt that she (meeting in the Normandy format - approx. ed.) will take place in October or November,” the expert concluded.
Let us recall that earlier in the declassified transcript of the conversation between Zelensky and American President Donald Trump, criticism of the head of the Ukrainian state against France and Germany for allegedly insufficient support for Kyiv was discovered.
According to experts, such statements behind the scenes could irritate Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron. Today, the German press has already published the first critical assessments of Zelensky’s statements.
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