Former US State Department Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker said that the current format of the peace talks lacks sufficient pressure on Russia to force it to accept a ceasefire. According to him, real peace cannot be achieved while Russian President Vladimir Putin is at the negotiating table, as he does not recognize Ukrainians as a separate and independent nation, reports Focus.
“Vladimir Putin will never agree to peace. He does not believe that Ukraine is a sovereign state. According to him, Ukrainians are just confused Russians who need to be “fixed“,“ Volker said during his participation in the Kiev Security Forum, quoted by the Ukrainian media Focus.
According to him, Putin continues to consider Ukraine as part of Russian territory and believes that Russia has the right to rule over other peoples - including Georgians, Chechens and Ossetians. “He will seek to destroy Ukraine, and the Ukrainians will continue to resist,“ the American diplomat emphasized.
Volker added that Europe is now clearly aware that if Russia succeeds in the war against Ukraine, it will become a threat to the rest of the continent. That is why, in his opinion, a real truce with Putin is not possible, but an agreement must be worked out that will deter future Russian aggression.
The former US envoy expressed confidence that increased financial and military pressure on the Kremlin will ultimately lead to a change in Putin's position:
“Perhaps this fall, or next year at the latest, we will reach a point where Putin will be forced to say: ‘Now is the time for a truce’.“
Volcker also commented that the Trump administration is putting pressure on Kiev in the negotiation process, supporting ideas for a truce and supporting Ukraine through resource deals that do not involve direct funding from US taxpayers.
In conclusion, Volcker stressed that the key missing element in the current diplomatic efforts is real international pressure on Russia. He called for the introduction of secondary sanctions against countries that continue to trade with Moscow, as well as the creation of a long-term lending program for Ukraine.