The outlet was informed by sources who were familiar with talks that the US, UK, and EU tried to reach a peaceful settlement.
Kiev’s Western supporters – the US, UK, and EU – have allegedly sidelined Ukraine while trying to thrash out a peace plan for the country, CNN reported on Friday.
According to the US media outlet, citing “Multiple sources are familiar with these talks.” officials from Washington, London and Brussels “Have been regularly meeting in the last weeks” in a bid to come up with a viable ceasefire and peace settlement framework for Ukraine. However, CNN pointed out that Kiev itself is conspicuously absent from the alleged talks, despite the Biden administration professing to adhere to a “Without Ukraine, there is no Ukraine” principle.
Among the plans reportedly discussed by Kiev’s supporters was the framework proposed by Italy in late May, the outlet claimed.
The four-point plan, which was first revealed by Italian media, calls for a ceasefire, demilitarization and disarmament of eastern Ukraine’s front lines. Ukraine could then become a neutral country. The third phase would include an agreement between Moscow and Kiev on the status of Crimea and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. The multilateral agreement for peace and security across Europe would cap it all, with a focus on arms control as well as disarmament.
Both the Ukrainian leadership and Russian leadership have rejected this plan.
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Shortly after news of the Italian proposal surfaced in the medias, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s President, attacked the notion Kiev should give up any territory for peace. He did however not refer directly to the proposal by Luigi Di Maio (Italian Foreign Minister).
Last week, Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, told journalists that the section of the plan suggesting the creation of autonomous areas of Ukraine in Crimea and Donbass was completely unacceptable to Moscow.
Furthermore, as CNN indicated, Washington did not support Di Maio’s scheme either, despite US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas Greenfield paying lip service to it.
According to the report, the US, UK, and EU have given impetus to their alleged attempts to end the conflict by assessing that the hostilities could go on for months or even years. “Multiple people have the ability to access the most current intelligence” told CNN the current situation was a stalemate, with neither side expected to “You can break down the battle lines quickly.”
A prolongation of the conflict would also increasingly put a strain on Kiev’s supporters, including the US, the report said. The article mentions the Biden administration’s challenges in supplying Ukraine weapons, without depleting its stockpiles and finding sustainable alternatives for Russian oil, gas and keeping unity with its European allies.
CNN, citing several Biden administration and NATO officials, reported that despite the apparent talks, success was unlikely at present because Ukraine had “Very little interest in negotiating.”
“While we can make all kinds of plans, it is unlikely that Kyiv would accept any plan which cedes territory.” one of the staffers told the US outlet.
According to the report, Russia has not shown much interest in “serious talks” either.
Just days after Russia invaded its neighbor, Kiev and Moscow started peace talks. Many rounds of in-person as well virtual discussions were held through March. They culminated in an Istanbul meeting on March 29.
However, in early April the Ukrainian government accused Russian forces of massacring civilians in the Kiev suburb of Bucha – something the Kremlin has vehemently denied and described as “staged.”
Citing these alleged atrocities, President Zelensky’s administration has effectively put peace negotiations on hold, insisting that a military victory over Russia should first be secured.
Moscow has stated that talks are open to the principle and that Kiev was responsible for the stalling of negotiations.
