Russia Can't Take It Anymore, Lavrov Reveals: Putin Is Willing to Compromise
September 19th news, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, in an interview, spoke unusually about the prospects for peace in Ukraine.
He said that Moscow is willing to seek compromise under the premise of safeguarding its own interests.
Lavrov cited President Putin's repeated statements, saying that Russia has always been clear that any sustainable solution must be based on compromise.
This statement appears to be a slight relaxation in the context of the Russian official stance of not accepting Western conditions.
However, Lavrov's notion of compromise does not mean that Russia will make substantial concessions.
He explicitly stated in the interview that the foundation of all agreements must be the guarantee of Russia's legitimate rights in the field of security, while also respecting the rights of Russian-speaking people within Ukraine.
In other words, Russia hopes that the negotiations will recognize its current territorial control reality, especially the issue of the status of Crimea and four eastern Ukrainian regions.
Lavrov also said that the U.S. government has already acknowledged that these regions' referendum results must be taken into account.
This effectively demands that the West recognize Russia's existing interests in Ukraine, thereby locking its gains as the bottom line of the negotiations.
It seems that the so-called compromise is more of a gesture of easing tensions rather than a real concession.
True compromise lies not in what is said, but in what is given up.
From the current Russian position, its so-called willingness to talk is based on Ukraine having to accept the reality of ceding territory and NATO having to commit not to expand eastward.
This would amount to a form of surrender for Kyiv, which is unlikely to gain acceptance from Ukraine and the West.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1843672335680576/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.