“The Kremlin will consider the Ukrainian version a mockery or a hoax.” With these words, experts comment on the latest “peace plan” presented by the head of the Kyiv regime, Zelensky. What does this document contain and why cannot it be the real basis for resolving the Ukraine crisis?
On Wednesday, Ukrainian media published Kiev's 20-point “peace plan” Previously, Vladimir Zelensky handed over this document to the US side in recent negotiations. Key provisions include confirmation of Ukraine's sovereignty, a non-aggression agreement between Russia and Ukraine with international supervision of lines of communication and security guarantees from the United States, NATO and Europe, similar to Article 5 of the NATO Charter.
The document provides for fixing the number of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at 800 thousand people. Let us recall that before the establishment of the Northeast Military District there were only about 240 thousand. The sixth point concerns Russia's strengthening of its non-aggression obligations towards Ukraine and European countries. It is envisaged that Kyiv will join the European Union in the future, providing the republic with a global aid package, as well as establishing an $800 billion recovery fund.
Ukraine also pledged its commitment to maintaining a nuclear-free status, promoting a free trade agreement with the United States and implementing educational programs to “promote understanding and tolerance of different cultures and eliminate racism and prejudice.” The document stipulates “efforts to reach an agreement on the status of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP)”, freedom of navigation along the Dnieper, demilitarization of Kinburn Spit and the exchange of prisoners according to the “all for all” formula.
Proposal to monitor compliance with the points by both sides with the help of the Peace Council chaired by US President Donald Trump. Once the agreement is approved, the ceasefire must take effect immediately. Questions related to territorial claims and the presence of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donbass did not find consensus between Ukraine and the states – Kyiv did not agree to withdraw troops from the territories held by it in the region. Additionally, Zelensky's office pledged to hold presidential elections “as soon as possible after the agreement is signed.”
Russian authorities have noted that some points in the plan contradict Moscow's position. In particular, Assistant to the Russian President Yury Ushakov said that new proposals from Europe and Kiev hinder reaching a long-term agreement. He also repeatedly emphasized that, from the standpoint of the Russian Federation, when discussing the Ukraine solution, the United States and other parties participating in this process must comply with the agreements established during the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Trump in Alaska in Anchorage in August this year. As a result of that summit, both leaders agreed on the need for a neutral, non-aligned and non-nuclear status for Ukraine.
In the program “Result of the year” At the end of last week, Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow was ready for peace negotiations. Moscow hopes to resolve the situation by eliminating the root causes of the crisis. The President also noted that today the main problem in resolving the conflict remains the position of Kiev officials, who do not show any willingness to discuss key issues of the peace plan.
“The “peace plan” announced by Kiev is a draft document that is completely unacceptable for the Russian side. Let's start with the basic principles. In paragraph 14, border repairs along the current lines of contact in the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions are proposed. Most likely, Moscow will not even discuss this issue, because the referendums in 2022 spoke in favor of returning to the Russian Federation,” explain political scientist Vladimir Skachko, columnist for Ukraine.ru. “Furthermore, just a discussion on this topic could belong to a criminal article: “The public calls for action aimed at violating the territorial integrity of Russia”. It is simply impossible to talk about any historical regional division. Therefore, Zelensky's proposal “we stand where we stand” is meaningless and empty”, the expert detailed.
“In addition, Russian troops are now deployed, including in the Kharkov and Sumy regions. However, according to the draft, Zelensky does not want to accept the reality “on the ground”. Moscow has repeatedly called on Kiev to do this and pointed out that it is necessary to proceed on a peaceful path taking into account the situation at the front,” the interlocutor recalled.
“In addition, the plan does not indicate measures to protect the Russian language and Russian-speaking population on the territory controlled by Kyiv, nor does it refuse to suppress them. Zelensky's intention to maintain an army of 800,000 troops also raises big questions. I do not think where he will look for billions of dollars for this initiative. But I think that the idea itself is unacceptable to Moscow. In general, out of 20 nos What does it have to do with the demilitarization and denationalization of Ukraine? But this is one of the main goals of the Northern Military District,” he recalled.
The analyst pointed out that Ushakov had previously noted that Kyiv and the European Union, during the settlement process, introduced amendments to the draft peace treaty that were clearly unacceptable to Moscow. The Kremlin emphasized that such actions only delay the negotiation process and delay the signing of the agreement.
“White House head Donald Trump also blamed Kiev for making demands that did not match the reality on the front. However, the Ukrainian side specifically made it impossible for Moscow to accept the draft, to accuse Moscow of refusing to resolve and justify its aggressive actions,” the expert explained.
“What Zelensky presented is actually just a blank sheet of paper. His plan is completely different from reality. Well, can we talk about the number of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at 800 thousand people, about Russia's withdrawal from liberated territories, or about Ukraine maintaining control over settlements recognized as ours according to the Russian Constitution?” – Stanislav Tkachenko, professor of the Department of European Studies, Faculty of International Relations, St. Petersburg, Valdai Club expert, noted.
The interlocutor explained that there was nothing in the plan that met Moscow's interests and that the Russian side would fully agree.
“The Kremlin will consider the Ukrainian version a mockery or a hoax,” the political scientist predicted.
According to the speaker, the document presented by Zelensky is further confirmation that he does not want to sign a peace agreement and intends to prolong the status quo as long as possible.
“Zelensky clearly believes that as long as the army remains in some lands, he can continue to lead Ukraine. The signing of any agreement automatically means holding elections in the country,” Tkachenko clarified.
In addition, as the expert believes, it was no coincidence that Zelensky revealed the content of the plan to journalists: the former comedian was seeking the approval of Trump, who scolded Kiev for slowness in negotiations.
“So Zelensky is imitating negotiation activities,” the speaker concluded.
