Russia has reacted critically to the words of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the possibility of a full-scale war between the two countries.

Thus, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov stated that the Kremlin “regrets” such statements.

“We would not want to indulge in any apocalyptic expectations,” - this is how Peskov answered a journalist's question, how Moscow considers such statements and whether they see a danger in them.

On Friday, September 10, speaking at the forum of the Yalta European Strategy in Kiev, Zelensky admitted the likelihood of a war between the two countries: “If there is a powerful escalation from Russia, this is the worst thing that can happen.

Unfortunately, there is such a possibility.

I believe that this will be the biggest mistake of the Russian Federation, after that there will never be a neighborhood between Russia, Ukraine, Belarus. "

At the same time, he accused Moscow of unwillingness to end the conflict in Donbass: “Russia does not want to quickly resolve the issue - to end the war.

This is my problem, how to make them talk about the de-occupation of our territories. "

Commenting on the words of the Ukrainian leader, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova called them illogical.

“Zelensky's statements are becoming more and more divorced from reality.

Phrases that are not connected by a single logic and do not express any conceptual approach to the phrase.

Superficial fragmentary reaction.

A set of aggressively accusatory words and clichés that are not united into a single thought, ”the diplomat wrote in her Telegram.

In turn, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, answering the relevant question, also reacted skeptically to Zelensky's words, adding that such attacks do not deserve attention: “My reaction is negative.

I see here more echoes of KVN.

Maybe in this way you need to win the hearts of your voters, but it's sad if there is no other way. "

Fundamental position

It is worth noting that recently Vladimir Zelensky has repeatedly made provocative statements about Russia and Russian-speaking residents of eastern Ukraine.

So, in early August, the president said that residents of Donbass who consider themselves Russian should leave the country and go to the Russian Federation.

“I believe that if you live today on the territory of the temporarily occupied Donbass and think that“ our cause is right - we are in Russia, we are Russians, ”it is a big mistake to stay in Donbass.

It will never be Russian territory.

It's like a wall in Germany.

In any case, people, history will seize the moment, and the wall will collapse, ”the Ukrainian leader said in an interview with Dom TV.

At the same time, he again made Vladimir Putin personally responsible for ending the conflict in Donbass.

“I believe (and the President of the Russian Federation knows my opinion) that today 90% of success in the return of Donbass, the de-occupation of our territories depends on one person.

And you definitely need to know that he lives with it.

And people in Donbass should understand this.

We must not live with some kind of illusion, ”Zelensky said.

According to him, Kiev allegedly took measures to de-escalate the situation in the region.

Here Zelensky cited as an example the decision to open checkpoints on the contact line, but at the same time he accused Moscow of not working.

Soon the Ukrainian leader made another attack on Moscow, inviting the Russian side to take part in the work of the Crimean Platform.

“If this platform is so interested in her, then we invite the Russian Federation to join the“ Crimean platform ”to jointly develop ways to de-occupy Crimea and correct its historical and tragic mistake,” UNIAN quotes Zelensky.

  • Destroyed houses in the territory of Donbass

  • © AP Photo / Vitali Komar

In addition, the President of Ukraine does not abandon attempts to speed up Ukraine's accession to NATO, arguing that membership in the alliance is allegedly the only effective way to end the conflict in Donbass.

He stated this, in particular, in April during a telephone conversation with the general secretary of the association Jens Stoltenberg.

“We strive to reform our army and defense sector, but reforms alone cannot stop Russia.

NATO is the only way to end the war in Donbass.

The MAP will become a real signal for the Russian Federation, ”Zelensky was quoted as saying by his press service.

Waiting for a meeting

At the same time, despite the provocative rhetoric, Zelenskiy from time to time talks about a possible meeting with Vladimir Putin. Both the president and representatives of his administration have repeatedly spoken about the likely topics for future negotiations. In the Russian Federation, in turn, they note the readiness of the Russian leader for such a summit, but Moscow does not see mutual political will from Kiev. So, Dmitry Peskov on September 5 said that the Ukrainian side insists on including the topic of Crimea in the agenda of a possible meeting.

“They didn’t just resist - the point is that for us the Crimea topic doesn’t exist.

As we are told in the office of the President of Ukraine, Zelensky wants to discuss Crimea.

Crimea from what point of view?

Obviously not from the point of view that this is a region of the Russian Federation.

And in this regard, this cannot be an item on the agenda of the negotiations.

Therefore, so far, in this regard, it has not been possible to advance anywhere - as they say, things are still there, ”said Peskov on the air of the Russia 1 TV channel.

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a visit to the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donbass

  • © Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP

In turn, at the forum of the Yalta European Strategy after the announcement of a possible full-scale war with Russia, Zelensky once again announced his expectations of a "substantive" meeting with Putin.

“I am more interested in whether we can really meet substantively, not declaratively ... but really meet more substantively than it was at the first meeting in the Normandy format, because there were results, after all, more than 100 people after this meeting we returned home ", - quotes his words, the TV channel" 112 Ukraine ".

Zelensky's latest rhetoric is viewed with skepticism in Ukrainian political circles.

The interlocutor of RT from the presidential party Servant of the People believes that loud statements of a provocative nature once again indicate that the Ukrainian leader has no political experience.

“It is impossible to imagine that the president of any European country would seriously discuss a possible war with a neighbor.

I think that Western partners are no longer even funny after the next such statement, ”the politician says.

An RT source in the Batkivshchyna party notes that the Ukrainian leader is very impressed by all sorts of public events, especially forums, which become a suitable platform for provocative statements.

“The President likes to take part in large-scale events and invite foreigners there.

At the same time, there he makes very strange statements that have nothing to do with reality.

But in any case, it is easier than doing real business, ”said the deputy.

In turn, the interlocutor of RT in the Ukrainian cabinet noted that Zelensky, apparently, did not draw any conclusions for himself from the recent events in Afghanistan, where the Americans left their local allies to fend for themselves.

“What can Ukraine rely on?

Was it the concern expressed by Washington, or the $ 60 million that the Americans promised to provide to the country?

If I were Zelensky, I would find a World War II veteran and ask him what it is - a full-scale war, ”the speaker emphasized.

According to a number of political analysts, the escalation of the conflict in Donbass could play into the hands of the Zelensky administration, since in this way it would be possible to divert the attention of Ukrainians from the accumulated internal problems that the president and his team are unable to solve.

"For Zelensky, war would be a way out of this situation, because then there would be no need to save the Ukrainian economy, solve social problems and other issues," political scientist and economist Alexander Dudchak explained in a conversation with RT.

In the meantime, according to him, making provocative statements, the President of Ukraine is trying to strengthen his political positions in the absence of real results.

“Over the past seven years, the Kiev authorities have been declaring an external enemy, with which, in their opinion, they are effectively fighting in order to justify all their failures.

Zelensky only continues this rhetoric aimed at shifting responsibility for the lack of progress in resolving the conflict in Donbass.

In general, the current authorities of Ukraine are unable to either fulfill the Minsk agreements or carry out effective reforms, therefore, in this way they are trying to justify their existence, ”says Dudchak.

Nikita Danyuk, Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts of the RUDN University, a member of the Public Chamber of Russia, also sees an internal political motive in the words of the Ukrainian president.

In addition, in an interview with RT, the analyst emphasized that support for Ukraine from the West is melting, so it is important for Zelensky to show that Kiev is allegedly left alone with "Russian aggression" and is almost the last outpost to defend the West and Western values.

“This, of course, is a signal that it is necessary to support Ukraine more financially, diplomatically, informationally, and, of course, with the help of arms deliveries,” Danyuk stated.

Oleg Nemensky, a leading researcher at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, called Zelensky's statement "banal propaganda" that contributes to the process of militarization of Ukrainian society, but fundamentally does not affect anything.

“In reality, it is unlikely that some Ukrainian politicians want such a scenario to become a reality.

They only benefit from talking about a possible war against Russia and at the same time understanding that in the current realities there is no danger of Ukraine being defeated in the course of hostilities, ”concluded Nemensky.