In an interview published on Thursday, the 2nd of May, Major General Vadym Skibitsky, Deputy Chief of the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), suggested that Ukraine may at some point have to engage in talks with Russia to end the ongoing conflict, although President Zelenskyy has repeatedly ruled out talks with the Kremlin, saying they are “impossible” after Russia annexed Ukrainian regions in 2022, reports Reuters.
Skibitsky told the Economist that negotiations would eventually be necessary, as in any war.
“General Skibitsky says he sees no chance of Ukraine winning the war on the battlefield alone. Even if it succeeded in pushing Russian forces to the border – an increasingly distant prospect – it would not end the war,” the magazine wrote.
“He says such wars can only be ended by treaties.
At the moment, the two sides are fighting for the “most favourable position” ahead of possible negotiations. But he reckons that meaningful talks may not start before the second half of 2025,” according to the magazine.
Zelenskyy and other officials have said that Russia has not been invited to the “peace summit” planned for June in Switzerland because they are not convinced that Moscow will negotiate in good faith.
In a separate interview with Foreign Policy this week, Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba echoed Skibitsky, saying it was important to unite countries with common principles and approaches at the June summit.
“After that, there can be communication with Russia, and Russia can engage in negotiations. Because it is true: after all, you cannot end a war without both sides,” he was quoted as saying.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that the June summit could not be
“a serious conference with serious expectations of any results” without Russia’s presence.
Zelenskyy, in his nightly video address on Thursday, described the June meeting as “practically the first real chance to start restoring a just peace”.
“All our positions – on the battlefield, in diplomacy and in the information sphere – must now be equally strong,” he said, adding the importance of balancing power, resources, weapons and unity with partners to succeed.
Also read: US imposes hundreds of sanctions targeting Russia, focusing on Chinese companies
Follow us on Facebook and X!