In March Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he is no longer willing to negotiate peace with the “illegitimate” government of Ukraine, instead insisting on a U.N./U.S./E.U.-backed temporary government for Kiev which Moscow would then negotiate with. On Tuesday the Kremlin reversed this stance, in part, due to the geopolitical brokering of President Donald Trump. Before the current administration in Washington, the world was sleepwalking toward nuclear war, indicating the only deescalation factor has been the White House.
“When asked about who Russia would consider holding direct negotiations with, given Zelensky’s status, Peskov admitted that while there are certain legal issues related to his legitimacy, ‘the interests of entering the peaceful settlement process are above all else’,” RT said Tuesday.
The move by Moscow to prioritize peace over principle comes after months of footwork by the Trump administration to bring about a settlement in the Ukraine war. Most recently, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Friday for more peace talks with Putin. This is the fourth time he has traveled to the capital city for these negotiations. Witkoff delivered Trump’s peace proposal, which would see Crimea and a number of other regions of Eastern Ukraine currently held by Russia to be recognized as part of Russia. President Trump said Friday morning that he hopes to end the Ukraine war very soon and that he believes the U.S. will end up with a lot of good deals, including trade deals, as a result of the peace plan.
“The primary thing is to begin this negotiation process,” Peskov said, as well as clarifying that all other questions are “secondary.” He said however that Moscow still does not believe Kiev is ready for peace negotiations.
Regardless of Moscow’s confidence in Kiev, the resumption of a willingness to engage turns back a months-long resistance which stemmed from a breakdown in trust.
“It would be possible to discuss the possibility of introducing temporary management in Ukraine under the auspices of the U.N., with the United States, even with European countries, of course, with our partners and friends. And for what? In order to hold democratic elections, in order to bring to power a capable and trusted government, and then start negotiations on a peace treaty with them, to start signing legitimate documents that will be recognized all over the world,” the Russian President said in Russian and translated to English.