It is my hope that there will be an intervention in the diplomatic field at the beginning of 2024. We must hope that the foreign ministers from Germany, Great Britain and France will get together and can help to try to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. It is necessary to intervene diplomatically on a completely different level than so far.
The time has come for visionary heads of state and foreign ministers to mobilize their countries’ diplomatic corps to draft a peace plan that can be submitted to the Ukrainian and Russian governments and their parliaments. We must get a peace solution based on the future of the Ukrainian and Russian people
This implies that a comprehensive security strategy for Europe is drawn up.
Ukraine wants the UN Secretary-General to lead the peace talks and Turkey has said on several occasions that they will host peace talks.
Achieving peace requires several countries and their foreign services to cooperate and spend weeks and months on this project. As I have presented in several articles on this page, it is obvious that the Conciliation Institution has an office in Istanbul.
It seems as if we are mixing things up and failing to reflect on the more inclusive strategies that can be used in the efforts to bring peace, stability and movement to the locomotives that can in turn propel the economy towards higher growth.
Of course, all NATO countries must strengthen their defenses and it is necessary to spend considerable sums to achieve this. Of course, the countries that have been highly dependent on Russian energy must find alternative supply lines – pipelines. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do business with Russia. Of course we must buy energy from the Russian companies, of course the Russian companies and business leaders must have their frozen assets returned, and of course Russia must also return the foreign-owned companies they have nationalized when a peace agreement is signed.
The Russian people must know that when there is peace again, they must be able to buy all the goods they could before the conflict and they must also be able to travel freely to any country they wish. We must strengthen the Russian economy through trade and we must simultaneously increase tourism cooperation between the countries. This must happen in the same way as it will happen with the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian business community. Both countries must know that after a peace agreement, all parties will as soon as possible re-establish normal trade and cooperation in all areas.
Ofcourse Ukraine must have security guarantees from European countries and of course the NATO countries and Sweden must rebuild an adequate military defense. Of course, the rest of Europe must not exclude the Russian people and business from trade and coexistence with the rest of Europe.
Trade and overall security strategy and reconstruction of Ukraine are connected.
The over 140 million people living in Russia must have exactly the same shopping and travel opportunities as the rest of Europe. The Russian businessmen must get their frozen assets back. We must resume energy cooperation with Russia and the companies that have left Russia must, as far as possible, resume their activity in the country for the benefit of the Russian people and growth and prosperity in Europe. If we do not do this, the Russian people and the country have rich opportunities in the BRICS cooperation, while we miss out on a market of over 140 million people who also want trade, cooperation and cohesion with the rest of Europe. Therefore, the politicians and foreign ministers who can build a bridge between the different positions and who have a holistic approach to peace, geopolitics and defense must participate in this important process.
Weakening Russia economically and militarily, is the most foolish strategy, if we desire peace, stability, and growth in Europe.
Here are the 3 pillars
Figure negotiation format 15-2
These countries can take part in the negotiations and, as the figure shows, there are several countries and organizations that can follow the negotiations through the peace center in Istanbul.
Proposes negotiations between parliaments
Russian State Duma
Valentina Matvijenko, who is the leader of the Russian upper house, suggests that the parliaments of Ukraine and Russia talk together to end the conflict between the countries. Source: vg.no Oct. 2022
Russian politician Sergej Stankevitji calls for the ceasefire and negotiations in an interview with jp.dk 24-02-2023. “As long as the politicians do not have the will and civil society does not have the organizational strength, one can only hope that the war itself loses its breath before the world is on fire.”
“It is necessary…. to have the conflict regulated in the form of international negotiations. …. The only thing that can now save the situation is a strong international negotiating institution created especially for this situation. I see it as a format you can call 10+2.” Sergej Stankevitji Source: jp.dk 24 February 2023 Poul Funder Larsen.
In this article I have focused quite a bit on the Russian side. If we are to have peace and stability in Europe and if the Ukrainian and Russian people are to have a normal everyday life again, there must be an exit strategy for both countries.
When the Russian leadership and the Russian population feel that they are being embraced by NATO countries, it is true. It is obvious that we must take charge of the new geopolitical situation Russia is in. Therefore, a comprehensive new security structure must be established in Europe and part of this plan may be demilitarized zones on all of Russia’s borders from NATO and Ukraine’s side and likewise, Russia must introduce demilitarized zones of 100 km where this is possible, and where it is not permitted to have heavy military equipment or carry out military exercises at each other’s borders. In practice, this will mean that there will only be regular border control and lightly armed border guards. The demilitarized zones will amount to 200 km, and could be a contribution to reducing tensions between the countries in the area.
I have drawn up a peace plan with around 30 points, here is an extract of these points:
Grain agreement
Peace negotiations
Plan for reconstruction of Ukraine
Ceasefire
Autonomy for Donbas within Ukraine’s borders
Leasing agreement of naval base
Minority rights in Ukraine
New security structure in Europe and demilitarized zones at the borders
This is not an exhaustive article on all topics related to the conflict and the establishment of a peace center in Istanbul. It is my plan to send a report to the UN and a draft – summary to selected governments. This is done in the hope that someone will begin the necessary peace negotiations. Posterity and history must prove that there really were foreign ministers and heads of state who in 2024 made a great effort to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. Only posterity can know whether these efforts by the diplomats succeeded and peace and stability returned to Europe. This is written with the Russian and Ukrainian people in mind.
