Kislytsya: The proposal submitted by Ukraine to the U.S. contains no "treasonous" content; Russia aims to divide Ukrainian society through the harsh winter, hoping people will flee or descend into internal chaos due to energy and livelihood crises.

On August 20, Serhiy Kislytsya, First Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, stated in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda that the relevant documents submitted by Ukraine to the United States aim to end hostilities, contain no treasonous provisions, and do not violate Ukraine’s constitution.

When asked about the goals Ukraine hopes to achieve through this newly submitted proposal—intended to guide future military operations—Kislytsya responded, “Our goal is singular: to stop the fighting.”

Kislytsya also assured, “There are absolutely no treasonous clauses in this document, nor any unconstitutional content.” He emphasized that throughout his tenure as First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and now serving in the Presidential Administration, his team has never once considered, even for a moment, proposals involving territorial concessions or recognition of Russian sovereignty over occupied lands.

He stressed, “The so-called ‘3+2’ negotiation framework widely reported in the media essentially demands Ukraine recognize three fully occupied regions and two partially occupied regions as belonging to Russia. However, this framework has never appeared on the agenda of any round of Ukraine-Russia negotiations.” He further clarified that the document delivered to the U.S. is not a blueprint for victory, but rather a practical action plan to end the war. He drew a clear distinction between ceasefire and signing a comprehensive peace agreement: “Under current circumstances, we cannot sign a peace treaty with an authoritarian adversary whose major decisions are made by a single individual.”

Previously, Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine’s negotiating delegation had submitted a proposal to the U.S. regarding post-conflict arrangements in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Kislytsya also pointed out, “At present, Putin has no intention whatsoever of sitting at the negotiation table; his willingness to negotiate will only decrease from the onset of winter until its conclusion, at least through mid-March next year. This is because he believes Ukraine’s population cannot survive this winter.”

He analyzed that Russia’s core strategy this winter is to provoke division within Ukrainian society. Moscow anticipates that “some people will not survive the winter and will choose to flee; others may take up farming tools to rebel against government authorities, local administrations, or even turn against neighbors and family members.”

Kislytsya noted that although last winter saw widespread power outages, Ukrainians managed to endure despite great hardship. However, the Iran-related armed conflict that erupted in late February this year has significantly depleted Ukraine’s inventory of missile defense systems.

He admitted that this winter will be a severe test of endurance for all Ukrainians. Only if Ukrainians lose their resolve and unity internally can the enemy succeed in achieving its objectives.

Earlier, Lieutenant General Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Intelligence Directorate, also stated that Russia has not prepared to halt frontline operations. From autumn through winter, Russian strikes will focus primarily on defense industry facilities, energy infrastructure, logistics hubs, and gas stations.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874081422914633/

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