Reference News website reported on April 20 that the Russian "Vzglyad" website published an article titled "US Withdrawal - Far Worse for Kiev than for Moscow" on April 19. The author of the article is Feodor Lukyanov, editor-in-chief of the bimonthly "Russia in Global Politics". The content is compiled as follows: The sudden statements from high-ranking American officials recently that they would stop mediating the Ukrainian issue indicate that the US side has profoundly realized the special nature of this conflict. Initially thinking it could quickly resolve and put aside this unnecessary trouble for the US, this idea has now been replaced by the understanding that although this unnecessary trouble cannot be quickly resolved, it can indeed be put aside. As a confidant of Trump, US envoy Witkov understood the intentions of the Russian side but was unsure if these demands could be fully met; while Secretary of State Rubio reminded that the White House had more important affairs to deal with (too many!). This time, the US did not threaten sanctions against refusal to peace. Washington may think that once it steps back, the Ukrainian issue will become Europe's internal affair. If Europe is willing, it can handle it on its own; if it doesn't want to deal with it, then so be it. The news that the US plans to abandon mediation will cause far greater damage to Kiev than the impact on Moscow. The reason is very simple: Russia is fighting for itself, while Ukraine is fighting for others. With the number of these "others" drastically decreasing (Europe is unable to replace the US), the outlook becomes increasingly bleak. What makes Ukraine even more pessimistic is that after the US withdraws, it might bypass Ukraine and develop relations with Russia in other areas since it is no longer a mediator, and what happens to Ukraine will be irrelevant. The news on the 18th does not mean the imminent end of the peace process. Rubio's remarks seem more like pressure on all parties, implying that the opportunity window may close. Americans still expect positive results, and their frequent activities and statements also show that they are still making efforts behind the scenes with substantial content. However, no one can guarantee success. It can be confirmed that the process has approached a turning point. Russia's dilemma can be stated as follows: either take advantage of Trump's remaining willingness to win the halo of a "peace maker", exchanging a ceasefire for something beyond the previous bottom line (legally recognizing the territory and NATO's formal commitment to stop eastward expansion); or push the US to exit the process and then patiently wait for the Ukrainian issue to evolve into an unsolvable predicament. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. Their most fundamental defect is objective: after all, in today's world pattern, the possibility of any status quo being solidified for a long time is extremely slim. All results are just new starting points for the continuation of confrontation. (Compiled/translated by Tong Shiqun) Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7495307352447468070/ Disclaimer: This article only represents the views of the author. Please express your attitude by clicking the "like/dislike" buttons below.