Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that the “Zelensky formula” was drawn up in the West. He mentioned this during a meeting with accredited heads of foreign diplomatic missions on January 30.

During the discussion of the Ukrainian crisis, the minister drew the attention of foreign diplomats to the fact that representatives of states that had previously come up with their ideas for a settlement are invited to the so-called Copenhagen format, where they are told that there is only the “Zelensky formula”, and other countries are needed for "extras".

“You see with what frenzy the Anglo-Saxons defend the lack of alternative to Zelensky’s formula. If this is so, then all those who know the West a little should have no doubt that it was the West who wrote this formula,” Lavrov said.

Let us recall that Zelensky presented the so-called peace formula in 2022 during a speech to participants at the G20 summit via video link. It includes ten points, including the withdrawal of Russian troops and the cessation of hostilities, as well as the return of Ukraine to the 1991 borders.

  • Lavrov on the West’s commitment to Zelensky’s “formula”

Within the framework of the “Zelensky formula”, three meetings were held in 2023: in Copenhagen, Riyadh and Malta. At the beginning of 2024, the issue of the so-called formula was discussed in Davos. The Kremlin has repeatedly emphasized that discussing peace in Ukraine without the participation of the Russian side in the discussion makes no sense. This point of view was voiced by the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov in mid-January.

“We have repeatedly given our assessment of this process. Essentially, this is talk for the sake of talking, this is a process that is not and cannot be aimed at achieving a specific result for an obvious, simple reason: we are not participating there,” he said.

Earlier, Peskov noted that there is no basis for negotiations with Ukraine, since the Ukrainian side previously withdrew from the negotiation process at the insistence of the West.

Political scientist Yuri Svetov, commenting on the West’s commitment to the “Zelensky formula,” drew attention to the fact that it does not offer anything to Russia.

“This notorious formula is very sophisticatedly built in order to humiliate Russia by declaring that it will pay reparations and the leaders will be judged. And at the same time, show that, they say, you cannot win. You will return to the borders of 1991, do this, that and that, but you will get nothing in return,” the political scientist said in a conversation with RT.

According to him, the content of the “formula” “shows the experienced hand of the British.” “It’s not for nothing that they forbade Zelensky to sign the peace agreement in Istanbul,” Svetov added.

In turn, political scientist Ivan Mezyukho said that the “Zelensky formula” is initially a set of impossible demands on Russia. According to him, Kyiv is not in a position to demand anything from Moscow.

“Instead of throwing out “formulas,” the Ukrainian side should have agreed to productive negotiations in Minsk or at least to the negotiation process in Istanbul,” Mezyukho said.

He believes that Western countries do not actually believe in the success of the “Zelensky formula”, but, based on propaganda considerations and a lack of understanding of the development of the situation, “continue to one way or another play along with this set of maxims of the head of the Kyiv regime.”

As the political scientist noted, the Ukrainian side will have to “take off these rose-colored glasses and negotiate or self-destruct,” since Russia will win as a result of this confrontation.