Several prominent European politicians have stated that NATO’s eastern expansion has been a significant factor in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Holding these views does not equate to legitimizing Russia’s invasions of Ukraine in 2014 and 2024 but is merely a sober assessment.
This perspective does not challenge the full right of former Eastern Bloc countries to join new alliances. It is also worth noting that both Secretary of State James Baker and the U.S. Ambassador in Moscow were very concerned about Russia’s reaction if Ukraine moved away from the Russian sphere. It is not new that diplomats, historians, and politicians have been concerned and fully aware that the relationship between Russia and Ukraine has been a very sensitive issue, considered a red line for Moscow.
I have repeatedly pointed out on this platform that the attitude of politicians towards Russia and the Russian people after the dissolution of the Soviet Union has been very unfortunate and could be an underlying factor for the very sad situation we and the Ukrainian people face today.
Ukraine has every right to choose its partners in all areas, but to claim that it was not known that this could lead to confrontations between neighboring and brotherly nations is probably a historically unfounded assumption.
Recently, a preparatory peace meeting was held in Switzerland with the participation of 80 countries and organizations. The summit hosts were Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Swiss President Viola Amherd.
“We stand together to help Ukraine lay the foundations for lasting peace. That is the main message from Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen when she and heads of state and government from around the world meet for the peace summit in Switzerland on June 15-16.” Source: The Prime Minister’s Office, 15.06.24
The problem is that you cannot conduct peace negotiations or lay the foundations for anything when you do not have an inclusive attitude towards the warring parties. Peace negotiations cannot take place without negotiating with the belligerents, and a two-day peace summit does not solve the major challenges facing the Ukrainian and Russian people.
We need a format where the countries bordering Russia are included in the negotiations, and the countries with close relations and trade with Ukraine and Russia are involved. Therefore, I have developed this comprehensive peace model, which is a multi-stranded strategy and a negotiation format, 15-2, as illustrated below. In recent weeks, I have been considering whether future peace negotiations should also include a clause on coexistence on the Crimean Peninsula and joint customs and border control with the help of the OSCE.
It must be possible to make some concessions so that the parties can come to the negotiating table, including starting by saying that there should be no foreign troops on Ukrainian soil in peacetime, and that once a ceasefire is in place, normal trade and cooperation should resume in all areas with both Ukraine and Russia.
Regarding the Document in this Article
I have not verified the authenticity of the document, but my search leads back to an American database, and based on that, it appears to be a genuine document prepared by the American administration.
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