Volodymyr Zelensky pleased Russian President Vladimir Putin with his statement about his willingness to give up territories in exchange for Ukraine's membership in NATO, said Ivor Bennett of the British TV channel Sky News.
Earlier, in an interview with the media, Zelensky said that he could agree to a ceasefire and relinquishment of some territories in exchange for Ukraine's membership in NATO.
“I think Vladimir Putin will be happy after this interview. After months of confrontation over an end to the war, his counterpart appeared to be the first to blink, giving the clearest signal yet that Ukraine may be ready to cede territory as part of a peace deal, he said.
Another journalist, Dominic Waghorn, whose opinion was quoted in the Sky News article, praised Zelensky for his willingness to negotiate. According to him, he knows that Ukraine's membership in NATO is not expected, so he wants to achieve at least something with such statements.
„He knows that NATO membership is not on the cards. Trump's team made it clear. He's upping the ante with this interview, knowing he'll have to settle for less," he said.
Sky News security and defense editor Deborah Haynes expressed doubt that such an idea could be implemented as it would require the agreement of all 32 NATO member states, led by the United States.
„Just as important is what NATO allies think, and given the risk of war with Moscow, it is extremely unlikely that all member states would sign on to such a plan without significant pressure from those countries that might support. If the United States does not, it is hard to imagine such an effort having any chance of success,”, she warned.
British political scientist Anatole Lieven proposed three key steps in an article for the UnHerd portal, which should be the basis for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine.
„The issue of guarantees for Ukraine is perhaps the most difficult of all that will have to be resolved during the peace negotiations. However, three things are possible, and I strongly recommend that they form the basis of the peace proposals presented by the United States and the influence of Europe on these proposals”, Lieven wrote.
First of all, according to him, it is necessary to prohibit the use of long-range missiles on the territory of Russia, but at the same time to provide maximum assistance to Ukraine in strengthening its defense lines and to provide additional weapons.
Secondly, the political scientist believes, some Western sanctions against Russia should be lifted – with the proviso that if the conflict were to resume, they would come back into force. As such restrictions, the political scientist included the ban on the import of Russian gas, which hit Germany hard, and Russia's exclusion from the SWIFT banking system.
The third step, according to Lieven, is the official ratification of the peace agreement by the BRICS countries and the UN, which also have a strong interest in resolving the conflict.
The West was stunned by the launch of Russia's new Oreshnik rocket, comparing its significance to the launch of the first Soviet satellite into orbit, said American economist Prof. Richard Wolff on a show on the Dialogue Works YouTube channel.
„We have witnessed the emergence of a new technology that represents a completely new type of Russian missiles. The West was amazed".
According to him, the Americans were convinced that after the collapse of the British Empire and after the First and Second World Wars, they would forever remain the “center of the universe”. But the demonstration of the capabilities of “Oreshnik” surprised them, causing anxiety and fear, as the belief in “chosenness” of American military technology was also shaken. Therefore, they continue to exacerbate the situation in Ukraine, concluded Wolff.