Russia wants to normalize relations with Ukraine, but so far Moscow does not see the appropriate political will on the part of Kiev.

This was stated by the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov.

“So far we do not see or hear any political will to normalize our bilateral relations, which we would like.

This is the first thing.

And second, we still, unfortunately, do not see any political will to implement the Minsk agreements and the Paris agreements, "Peskov said.

He noted that there are not enough prerequisites for a high-level conversation today.

“I repeat once again, President Putin himself has repeatedly said that we are interested in normalizing relations with all our neighbors, including Ukraine,” the press secretary of the Russian president stressed.

Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an interview with the Ukrainian edition of Focus, said that in the event of a further delay in the meeting of the Normandy Four, he would hold a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin.

“If the delay continues with the meeting of the advisers, then I will

communicate

with him (Putin. -

RT

) without fail.

As the president of Ukraine, I must resolve all difficult issues with him.

And if this helps to stop the war faster, I must communicate with him, ”the publication quotes Zelensky as saying.

At the same time, the President of Ukraine admitted that he did not call Vladimir Putin, since "there is no subject for conversation."

According to Zelensky, there should be a dialogue between Kiev and Moscow in different formats.

“There should be both a dialogue in the Normandy format and a direct dialogue.

Because there are questions that we do not pose in the "Normandy format", neither the question of hostages in Russia or in Crimea, nor the question of Crimea.

This format is purely about Donbass.

Therefore, we must speak with him globally one-on-one, ”Zelensky said.

An RT source in the President's Office believes that it is now impossible to normalize relations with Russia.

“This is what many of the elite want, but too much is at stake.

In Ukraine, they talked about the war with Russia for a long time; Western loans were attracted for these stories.

And now what to say to society?

What was this deception?

And what about Western partners, who even provided a visa-free regime to support Ukraine?

Zelensky does not have the political will that would allow him to make radical decisions, which is why he is following the intended course, "the source told RT.

Waiting for a meeting

The last Normandy Four summit took place in December 2019 in Paris.

It confirmed that there was no alternative to the strict and consistent implementation of the Minsk agreements.

After the summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that it "emphasized the importance of establishing a direct dialogue between the parties to the conflict."

But during the time that has passed since the meeting of the heads of the quartet in Paris, Kiev did not take steps to establish a dialogue with the LPR and DPR and tried to refuse to fulfill the Minsk agreements or unilaterally change their provisions, experts say.

  • Paris Summit 2019

  • Reuters

  • © Thibault Camus / Pool

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the same interview with Focus, stated that he would like to withdraw from the Minsk agreements, but he cannot do this.

“As I said at one of the briefings, I think that we cannot simply withdraw from the Minsk agreements.

Because the Europeans can lift sanctions from Russia and representatives of ORDLO (certain areas of Donetsk and Lugansk regions. -

RT

).

But personally I would go out, ”Zelensky said.

With such statements, the President of Ukraine confirms what has long been known to everyone, said an RT source in the Batkivshchyna party.

“Nobody in Ukraine intends to seriously fulfill all the requirements specified in this document.

But visibility must be created, otherwise they simply will not be given the next tranche of aid.

Now there is a process for the sake of a process, the purpose of which is to drag out time, and not bring about real change.

The conflict in the east and negative attitudes towards Russia are likely to persist for decades.

This is bad not only for the country's economy, but also for ordinary people who have been divided, "a representative of Batkivshchyna explained in a conversation with RT.

Negotiations without Minsk

Over the year since the Paris summit, Volodymyr Zelenskyy regularly announced new meetings of the heads of the Normandy Four, which were then postponed or canceled.

He last announced the upcoming meeting in September 2020, stating that "all leaders confirm their readiness to meet."

This summit also did not take place.

This was followed in November by a video link meeting in the format of political advisers to the heads of state of the Quartet, at which Ukraine again proposed to accept its settlement plan.

  • DPR serviceman

  • Reuters

  • © Alexander Ermochenko

Earlier, Moscow has already stated that there are no prerequisites for holding new meetings in the format due to Kiev's refusal to follow the agreements that were reached in Paris in 2019.

An RT source in the European Solidarity party said that Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues the policy of Petro Poroshenko, who made Ukraine a party to the Minsk Agreements, knowingly not intending to implement them.

“President Petro Poroshenko put his signature on all documents, although he initially understood that no one would fulfill any agreements.

These documents allowed him to show his Western partners that Ukraine is ready for negotiations and then ask for both military and financial

help from the West.

By the way, the West is in no hurry to give large sums and write off old debts.

And all in order to control any Ukrainian president.

He will no longer be able to meet with the Russian leadership without permission from Washington or Brussels.

And such a go-ahead, apparently, will not happen, "the source said.

In a commentary on RT, Andrei Suzdaltsev, deputy dean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at the Higher School of Economics, noted that Kiev is not taking any practical steps to normalize relations with Russia.

“There is a desire on the part of the Russian political class and population to normalize relations.

But the problem is that the current Ukrainian leadership is waiting for concessions from the Kremlin, but it does not intend to do anything, since it considers itself an insulted party.

In addition, the issue of Crimea and the reputation of a victim of Russia's “aggression” for Ukraine is an indicator of its acceptance in the West, ”the political scientist noted.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not demonstrate political will to normalize relations with Russia or resolve the conflict in Donbass, because he is not an independent political figure, political scientist and economist Alexander Dudchak believes.

“You need to understand that behind the current Ukrainian administration there are geopolitical forces that organized and implemented the coup d'etat in Ukraine in 2014.

Neither Zelensky nor the members of his team have political will, nor their own opinions, but are simply repeaters of other people's ideas and plans, ”the expert concluded.