Since Tucker Carlson’s Interview with Putin, pro-UK and Ukraine sources have issued rebuttals saying it was Russia Foreign Minister, Lavrov, that broke off negotiations in Istanbul not UK’s Boris Johnson who arrived in Kiev a day later. Following my posting of the Carlson-Putin interview (see below) in which Putin said it was Johnson and that Russia and Ukraine negotiators had a tentative peace deal, only to be signed off by Zelensky, pro-Johnson propagandists took issue with my posting reporting Putin’s position. The pro-Ukrainian trolls say the proof of their view is that China state TV reporters supported it.
I rarely allow third parties to post on this blog but in this case I am. What follows is a third party’s analysis of the debate ‘did Lavrov or Zelensky reject the tentative peace deal’. Check out the following analysis, time lines and the references. Decide for yourself. Who’s wrong: Putin or the pro-Ukraine trolls.
ANOTHER VIEW OF WHO REJECTED THE ISTANBUL DEAL
“Between March 14-17, a fifth round of peace talks took place via video conference. This produced the best outcome so far. On March 15, Ukrainian President Zelensky reported ‘real progress’; next day Lavrov spoke of ‘some hope for reaching a compromise’. The Financial Times of March 16 signalled a 15-point draft deal by which Kyiv gave up its NATO ambitions in return for security guarantees outside NATO. In an interview with ABC news , Ukrainian negotiator Podolyak said Russia’s demands and position have “softened significantly” and :therefore, we have much confidence that we will have a cease-fire in the coming days”.
By this time, a certain amount of peace momentum had replaced war momentum. There was no breakthrough at the sixth round of negotiations on March 21. However, according to BBC news and Vedomosti ( Russian newspaper) President Zelensky requested a face-to-face meeting with Putin. Lavrov rejected this and said, “ It should happen once the two sides are closer to agreeing on key issues”.
The seventh round of talks on March 29 saw the renewal of face-to-face negotiations in Istanbul. European Pravda reported that this had so far been the ‘most effective round of Ukraine-Russian negotiations’. The discussion centred on a draft treaty, the gist of which was permanent Ukrainian neutrality and non-nuclear status, in return for which Ukraine would have security guarantees similar to Article 5 of the NATO military alliance from China, Russia, UK, France, Belarus and others. Ukraine would also start a 15-year consultation period on the status of Crimea, though reserving the right to reconquer Luhansk and Donetsk (Ukrainian Pravda). For its part, Russia would “drastically reduce” military activity near Kyiv to ‘create the necessary conditions for further negotiations”. Ukraine’s successful counter-offensive had started a week before the Istanbul peace talks. The Russian offer to ‘withdraw’ on March 29 was thus far from voluntary.
This draft was the one Putin waved on television on June 17, 2023. He called it a “not bad result”.
What happened then?
Kyiv official says ex-UK PM Johnson derailed 2022 talks with Russia – (https://www.dailysabah.com/world/europe/kyiv-official-says-ex-uk-pm-johnson-derailed-2022-talks-with-russia_) Davyd Arakhamiia, a top advisor to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the leader of the Servant of the People faction, said the Russian delegation at the 2022 negotiations in Istanbul had promised Kyiv peace in return for neutrality. “The war could have ended in the spring of 2022 if Ukraine had agreed to neutrality,” Arakhamia, who led the Ukrainian delegation, told Ukrainian TV channel 1+1 on Friday.
“Russia’s goal was to put pressure on us so that we would be neutral. This was the main thing for them: They were ready to end the war if we accepted neutrality, like Finland once did. And for us to make a commitment that we will not join NATO. This is the main thing,” he added.
In reply to why Ukraine did not agree to the proposal, Arakhamia said: “Firstly, it was necessary to change the Constitution, and secondly, there was no trust in the Russians that they will do this.”
“Further, after we returned from Istanbul, Boris Johnson visited Kyiv and said that we should not sign anything with the Russians and ‘let’s just fight.'”
Common Dreams Jake Johnson reports it as follows:
Boris Johnson Pressured Zelenskyy to Ditch Peace Talks With Russia: Ukrainian Paper
“The British government has become an obstacle to peace in Ukraine,” said the Stop the War Coalition. “The conflict there is developing into a proxy war between Russia and NATO and it is the Ukrainian people who will suffer the consequences.”
The Ukrainian news outlet Ukrayinska Pravda reported Thursday that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson used his surprise visit to Kyiv last month to pressure President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to cut off peace negotiations with Russia, even after the two sides appeared to have made tenuous progress toward a settlement to end the war.
Citing unnamed sources from Zelenskyy’s “inner circle” and advisory team, Pravdareported that “Johnson brought two simple messages to Kyiv”:
“The first is that Putin is a war criminal; he should be pressured, not negotiated with. And the second is that even if Ukraine is ready to sign some agreements on guarantees with Putin, they are not. We can sign [an agreement] with you [Ukraine], but not with him. Anyway, he will screw everyone over,” is how one of Zelenskyy’s close associates summed up the essence of Johnson’s visit…
Johnson’s position was that the collective West, which back in February had suggested Zelenskyy should surrender and flee, now felt that Putin was not really as powerful as they had previously imagined.
Moreover, there is a chance to “press” him. And the West wants to use it.
In public remarks during his trip, Johnson vowed that the U.K.–in line with the U.S., Germany, and other western powers–would continue ramping up its “military and economic support and convening a global alliance to bring this tragedy to an end, and ensure Ukraine survives and thrives as a free and sovereign nation.”
“I made clear today that the United Kingdom stands unwaveringly with them in this ongoing fight,” the right-wing British leader said, “and we are in it for the long run.”
Dr. Wilmer Leon
February 12, 2024
Johnson, the lapdog of US/NATO was doing their bidding. They are the underlying causes of the war. Bob Stevens NY
Last comment made in error, sorry – he *interviewed* a CIA analyst here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wilmer-j-leon-iii-ph-d-cpcm-879286b_i-am-very-excited-to-announce-the-upcoming-activity-7132393842640584704-Yv88?trk=public_profile_share_view
… Still suggests a connexion.