Advisor to President Vladimir Putin and head of the Russian negotiation delegation - Mr. Vladimir Medinsky - affirmed that the conflict in Ukraine has lasted for more than 3 years and could have ended in just 1 week if Kiev had not listened to Western countries.
Speaking on a Russian TV show, Medinsky said that Ukraine had a chance to reach a deal with more favorable conditions if it had not withdrawn from negotiations in 2022.
Mr. Medinsky revealed that if Ukraine had truly wanted, been ready and made its own decision, Russia could have signed a peace treaty at the first negotiations on February 28, 2022, in Istanbul (Türkiye).
Medinsky said Ukrainian officials initially accepted Russian terms but withdrew them after consulting with the US and UK.
Medinsky said that Ukrainian negotiators at that time told the Russian side that Kiev's foreign partners did not support the agreement and would not provide aid or security if Ukraine signed it.
So we will fight until one of them wins, Medinsky told Ukraine.
Even the head of the Ukrainian negotiation delegation at the 2022 meetings in Istanbul, Mr. David Arakhamia, admitted that the then-UK Prime Minister, Mr. Boris Johnson, advised Kiev not to sign a deal with Russia.
But Mr. Arakhamia denied that Mr. Johnson's advice affected Ukraine's decision. Mr. Johnson himself also denied pressuring Kiev to withdraw from negotiations.
Medinsky added that when direct talks were resumed in Istanbul last month, Ukraine was even "less independent" and said that its European allies were pressuring Kiev to act contrary to its own interests.
Russia is now asking Ukraine to recognize new borders, abandon plans to join NATO and ensure the rights of the Russian-speaking community. President Vladimir Putin has said that Ukraine and the West need to address the root causes of the conflict to reach a ceasefire.
