“I think that in personal conversations Zelensky is being told that it is over and that he needs to leave his post with dignity, which he cannot do, as I have mentioned earlier”, – MacGregor shared his views in an interview with YouTube channel Stephen Gardner.
“He will sit at the negotiating table and discuss ending the conflict with the Russians.”
President of Ukraine Zelensky. Photo: Sputnik.
Russia has repeatedly expressed its readiness for negotiations, but the Kiev government has placed a ban on this at the legislative level. The Kremlin also noted that there are currently no preconditions for the situation to move in a peaceful direction, while achieving the goals of the special operation remains Moscow’s absolute priority. According to President Vladimir Putin, Russia has never refused dialogue, but the other side must directly express its readiness.
Meanwhile, the head of President Vladimir Zelensky’s party in parliament – and Ukraine’s chief negotiator at the Istanbul peace talks – David Arakhamia, admitted on November 24 that Russia was ready to stop fighting if Ukraine agrees to remain neutral, but the West advises Kiev to continue.
Arakhamia, head of the ‘Servant of the People’ parliamentary group, told 1+1 TV channel that Moscow had offered Kiev a peace agreement in March 2022, but the Ukrainian side did not trust Russia.
“Russia’s goal is to put pressure on us to remain neutral. This is the main problem for them: They are willing to end the war if we accept neutrality, like Finland did. And we will pledge that we will not join NATO. This is the main problem,” Arakhamia said.
However, agreeing to neutrality and renouncing NATO membership would require changes to Ukraine’s constitution, Arakhamia explained. “Second, the Russians don’t trust that they will do this. This can only be done with security guarantees,” he told 1+1.
Arakhamia added that during the talks, then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson went to Kiev and asked Ukrainian officials to continue fighting and not sign any agreements with Moscow.
Johnson’s role in disrupting peace talks in Istanbul was revealed by Ukrayinska Pravda newspaper in May 2022. However, neither was the British politician – who was ousted as Prime Minister in May 2022. Those 6 years and finally getting a job at an American research organization – neither the US government has ever officially admitted to pressuring Kiev to cancel the draft agreement that Arakhamia itself signed with the Russians. Kiev has also never officially commented on this issue – until now.
