[Steve]

UK and US Governments Are Primary Obstacles to Peace Negotiations: Ukrainian News Outlet -

A recent report in Ukrainian news outlet Ukrayinska Pravda, quoting officials from the Ukrainian president’s office, claimed that talks between Ukraine and Russia have stopped due to pressure exerted by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson during his unannounced visit to Kiev on April 9. 

According to the report, Johnson came to Kiev on a surprise visit apparently to “express solidarity” and announce financial and military aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. However, during his meeting with Zelensky, Johnson asked him not to continue with the talks which were going on in Turkey, asserting that Putin needs to be defeated.

Zelensky’s public position on talks with Russia shifted dramatically following this visit. Only a few days prior to the visit, Zelensky had proclaimedthat there is no alternative to talks with Russia. He had declared the necessity of the talks even amidst the international outcry over the alleged mass killings in Bucha.

During the last physical round of talks between both the countries in Istanbul in late March, Russia had claimed that Ukraine was ready to consider its demand of Ukrainian neutrality. The Russians had also said there were talks of a possible meeting between Zelensky and Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Russia had earlier alleged that the talks were stalled due to Western pressure. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov alleged in late April that Ukraine had taken the decision to stall the talks on the advice of “American and British colleagues”.  Putin had announced “deadlock” in the talks and said that the West, instead of finding a solution to the conflict, has been aiding the war with the objective of prolonging it at the cost of the Ukrainian people.

Consistent NATO backing through arms supplies has also led to the hardening of Zelensky’s public stand on the talks. On Friday, he proclaimed that talks with Russia will only resume after Russian troops withdraw from Ukraine completely and “return” all those Ukrainians who have been evacuated to Russia.

Russia claims to have evacuated more than 19,800 people from the Donbass republics. It also claimed that Ukrainian forces tried to block the evacuation. Russia has evacuated more than 1.1 million people from Ukraine since the beginning of its “special operation” on February 24, Tass reported.

Russia has already announced that it will not halt its offensive for the talks and that Ukrainian commitment of neutrality will be necessary for any meaningful talks…




https://www.globalresearch.ca/uk-us-gove...et/5779895