The Wall Street Journal: “Pressure” on Ukraine to start talks with Russia

Germany, France and Britain consider that strengthening NATO relations With Ukraine one way To encourage Kyiv to start peace talks With Russia, even if Moscow continues to occupy Ukrainian lands, the Wall Street Journal claims, citing officials from the three countries.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last week outlined an agreement that would give Ukraine broader access to advanced military equipment, weapons and ammunition for its defense when the war ends. He said the plan would be on the agenda for discussions at a NATO summit in July.

France and Germany support this initiative. The three countries believe it is a way to give the Ukrainian government an incentive to start talks with Russia as the war marks one year away.

But the officials indicated that no decision on when and under what circumstances the peace talks would begin He left for Ukraine. Sunak said earlier on Friday (24/02) that the West should give Ukraine weapons systems, including fighter jets, which would give it a “decisive advantage” on the battlefield.

“No one believes that Ukraine will regain Crimea”

However, according to the WSJ, these public statements contradicted skepticism expressed privately by French, British and German politicians about whether Ukraine would succeed in driving the Russians out of Crimea and its eastern provinces. Or how long the West will continue to support the war effort. Especially if the conflict ends in a stalemate. “We constantly repeat that Russia should not win, but what does that mean? If the war continues for a long time with such intensity, Ukraine’s losses will become unbearable. And no one believed that they would be able to return CrimeaA French official was quoted as saying.

But this week, US President Joe Biden and other Western leaders called for unity in the face of Russian aggression, and no one mentioned the possibility of starting talks between Kiev and Moscow in the near future.

US officials declined to comment on the proposed security agreement between Ukraine and NATO. The German government also declined to comment.

Even France and Germany made peace after World War II.

The Wall Street Journal cited sources as saying that French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Volodymyr Zelensky that he should start looking at the possibility of starting peace talks when they met in Paris earlier this month. Macron reportedly told him so Even mortal enemies like France and Germany made peace after World War II.

The agreement in question will not include any commitment to deploy NATO forces in Ukraine. Nor would Kiev provide the “protection” provided for in Article 5 of collective defence. But sources say it will introduce Ukraine The army means to prevent any future Russian attack.

Although the exact terms were not specified, several officials said that Ukraine would have access to a range of NATO weapons systems and would be more connected to the Western defense industry. Germany has already hinted that it is ready to provide specific assistance on a permanent basis, such as air defense systems, heavy artillery, tanks and ammunition, while Britain is discussing the supply of warplanes.

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