MOSCOW: Domestic political changes may occur in Ukraine before the deadline set earlier by US President Donald Trump for resolving the con...
MOSCOW: Domestic political changes may occur in Ukraine before the deadline set earlier by US President Donald Trump for resolving the conflict with Russia, Karin Kneissl, former Austrian foreign minister and head of the Geopolitical Observatory for Russia’s Key Issues (GORKI), a research center at St. Petersburg State University, told TASS in an interview.
"As for the ultimatum or deadline set by President Trump, a lot can happen in the remaining 35 days (the interview was recorded before Trump adjusted his position, saying that the deadline is now 10-12 days instead of the original 50 - TASS). I think this has less to do with relations between Moscow and Kiev. Perhaps — this is only a guess, and I don't want to speculate too much — there will be some changes within Ukraine itself. It will be an exclusively Ukrainian decision: how to proceed in the context of Vladimir Zelensky's presidential term, which has effectively ended; how to resolve the current chaotic situation in the Ukrainian parliament regarding anti-corruption bodies, and so on," Kneissl noted, adding that, in her opinion, no significant changes in bilateral relations between Moscow and Kiev should be expected during this time.
Earlier, Trump said he was giving Russia and Ukraine 50 days to work things out. After that, he planned to impose 100% tariffs on Moscow and its trading partners. However, on July 28, the US leader announced that he was shortening the deadline for an agreement to 10-12 days.
According to Kneissl, it was "clearly evident" at the Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul that the parties' positions remain opposed. "The humanitarian part of the negotiations has largely been completed. The tragic topic of Russian civilians from the Kursk Region who were kidnapped is still being discussed. Overall, however, the parties have completed the exchange of prisoners and the bodies of dead Ukrainian soldiers. The Russian delegation considers this section of the negotiations, as a humanitarian block, closed," the former top diplomat added.
At the same time, she opined that a meeting between Russia and Ukraine at the highest level, which Kiev is seeking, is "not an appropriate step" at this time.
"Very serious strikes are being carried out on Russian territory using drones, regardless of where they are launched from. Therefore, it is difficult to say whether it is possible to seriously talk about any kind of peace process," Kneissl concluded.
-News Feed
COMMENTS