Spring 2022 brought about a minute erstwhile Ukraine and Russia were close to signing a peace agreement that could end the ongoing conflict. However, according to Victoria Nuland, the erstwhile Undersecretary of State of the United States, the arrangement fell apart after not only the United States, but besides Britain and another Western countries intervened.
Last week, in 1 of the interviews, Nuland confirmed that the Western powers influenced the decisions of the Ukrainian government. Her words sparked discussions and appeals to Neftala Bennett's earlier statements, erstwhile Israeli Prime Minister, as well as Boris Johnson, then British Prime Minister, who claimed that Ukraine was ready to compromise with Russia, but the West "doed" a halt to negotiations.
Details of the agreement – restrictions for Ukraine, deficiency for Russia
Victoria Nuland has revealed that the proposals contained in the draft agreement contained restrictions for Ukraine on its weapons systems. As she pointed out:
"It contained restrictions on circumstantial types of weapons systems which Ukraine could have after the agreement was concluded. specified that Ukraine would in fact be castrated as a military force."
She pointed out that Russia was not bound by akin restrictions. It was not required to retreat troops from Ukraine or make a buffer zone. This raised questions among both Ukrainian and abroad decision-makers, which yet contributed to breaking up talks.
Comments from Ukrainian politicians and experts
Ukrainian MP David Ara ija, who presided over Ukraine's delegation during negotiations with Russia in 2022, admitted in an interview that Ukraine was indeed close to signing the agreement. Russia offered to end the war in exchange for the neutrality of Ukraine, like Finland. However, the revision of the Ukrainian Constitution, which implies the pursuit of NATO membership, was 1 of the main reasons why the agreement did not take place. Ara ija noted that the Ukrainian side did not trust Russia and feared that Moscow could resume attacks after any time.
Political action was besides hindered. As Ara ija explained:
“When we returned from Istanbul, Boris Johnson came to Kiev and said that we would not sign anything with them and that we would just fight.”
This gathering was crucial in the further improvement of the conflict, due to the fact that after Ukraine decided not to sign the agreement, the intensifying of the war effort increased significantly.
Russian Perspective
Russian sources, including president Vladimir Putin, stress that the peace treaty draft was real and could end the war. In March 2022 a preliminary task was signed in Istanbul, which assumed the neutrality of Ukraine and the withdrawal of Russian troops from most of Ukraine's territory, with the exception of Donbas and Crimea. This paper besides included provisions on the size of the Ukrainian army, which, according to the Russian side, was intended to guarantee the stableness of the region. However, Putin stated that the agreement was “locked under Western pressure.”
Controversy around Bucza
Dr. Ivan Kaczanowski, a Ukrainian political scientist from the University of Ottawa, notes that Victoria Nuland in her statements did not mention war crimes in Buczy, which he thought were ‘exaggerated’ and utilized by Western media as an excuse to interrupt peace talks. Bucza was the place where after the withdrawal of the Russian troops the bodies of civilians were discovered, which caused global outrage and was 1 of the main reasons for the suspension of negotiations.
International context and function of the West
The statements of Nuland and another Western politicians shed fresh light on the negotiations. erstwhile German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who participated in the talks in March 2022, stated that "Americans blocked Ukraine's peace agreement with Russia". Like Sergei Lavrow, Russian abroad Minister, who accused the “Anglossas” of undermining negotiating efforts.
Moreover, according to The fresh York Times, Poland besides played an active function in rejecting the agreement, which further complicates the global context of the case.
Conclusion
The peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in 2022 were close to ending the conflict, but were broken as a consequence of the pressures of Western powers. The complexity of the situation and the geopolitical interests played a key function in the continuation of the war. The statements of Victoria Nuland, David Ara iji, and another key figures show how complicated these talks were, and how hard it is to foretell the consequences of the agreement.
Could Ukraine truly have ended the war in the spring of 2022? There is no clear answer to this question, but 1 thing is certain: the influence of the Western powers on Kiev's decisions was significant, and past could have been different.
Continued here:
A U.S. diplomat admitted that Ukraine broke peace talks with Russia after contacting the West
