On September 22, according to TASS, former US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and US State Department employee Larry Johnson said that the prospects of Russia-Ukraine talks are currently limited, as the two sides have not narrowed the gap in conditions for resolving the conflict.
I see very little hope for the talks," Johnson said, referring to the possibility of a new round of talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine.
According to him, Ukraine is not ready to accept the conditions set by Russia. Mr. Johnson said that one of Moscow's requirements is to recognize the Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, Kherson and Crimea regions as part of the Russian Federation.
He also mentioned the requirement for "demilitarization" of Ukraine, according to which Kiev needs to reduce the size of its armed forces and end relations with NATO.
In addition, Mr. Johnson said that holding new elections in Ukraine is also an issue that needs to be resolved. According to him, these differences make the negotiation process difficult to make progress.
I think Russia's only option is to defeat them militarily," Johnson said, adding that the current conditions have not created a foundation for the two sides to find common ground.
Johnson's assessment was made in the context that the Russia-Ukraine negotiation process has not made a new breakthrough. On September 21, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is still open to the possibility of resuming trilateral talks and continuing military operations.
Meanwhile, diplomatic activities continue to be promoted in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. French President Emmanuel Macron said on September 21 that he had a "very good" and "constructive" exchange with US President Donald Trump about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including initiatives to reduce attacks on the energy sector.
