Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that he does not see a single moment when Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready to stop the war against Ukraine. In an interview with “Ukrainska Pravda“ he admitted that Kiev could have tried to negotiate a cessation of hostilities in September or October 2022, but according to him, such an agreement would probably not have led to a lasting result.
“I do not see a single moment when Putin was ready to stop the war“, said Kuleba, answering a question about whether there was a real window for peace that was missed due to the intervention of external factors. According to him, Ukrainian society at the end of 2022 was in a state of euphoria after the liberation of significant territories and expected the restoration of the 1991 borders.
There was a possibility for negotiations, but not for lasting peace
Kuleba pointed out that at the end of 2022, the situation on the front had already begun to change to the detriment of Ukraine. In the spring of 2023, Russian forces captured Bakhmut, and the Ukrainian counteroffensive did not achieve the expected result. According to him, it was then that Putin no longer had any reason to stop the war.
“Theoretically, we could have tried to reach an agreement in September-October 2022, but I am convinced that nothing would have come of it“, said the former minister.
He rejected the idea that Ukraine was close to an acceptable peace agreement in the spring of 2022. According to him, the conditions discussed at the time provided for limiting the Ukrainian army to 50,000 people, while Kiev insisted on a number of 250,000 servicemen. Kuleba also pointed to the transfer of missiles and long-range weapons, as well as the placement of military warehouses under Russian protection.
Kuleba: Russia is using negotiations for influence
According to Kuleba, the current negotiation initiatives also do not indicate a fundamental change in Russian goals. He said that Moscow is trying to use the dialogue with Washington to present Putin as a constructive partner and at the same time set the US administration against Kiev.
Kuleba said that he sees no evidence that European countries have joined in putting pressure on Ukraine. According to him, Europe wants to participate in the process because the war directly affects the continent, but this does not mean a concerted policy of forcing Kiev to accept Russian conditions.
He identified Norway as one of Ukraine's key partners because of its military and macro-financial support. Among the countries that Kiev should not lose, Kuleba also named Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.
Dmytro Kuleba left the post of Ukrainian Foreign Minister in 2024. He explained his resignation with a change in the balance of foreign policy roles in the presidential administration and stated that after his resignation he decided to stay and live in Ukraine.
Sources: pravda.com.ua