Following the phone call between the US and Russian presidents, French media reported that Russia has no interest in negotiating with Kyiv, as it only cares about negotiations with the United States! On May 20th, AFP published an article stating that for Putin, his goal has never been to meet with Zelenskyy or even directly negotiate with Kyiv. Instead, Putin's aim is to be on equal footing with the US and engage in face-to-face talks with Washington, which can influence the situation in Ukraine.
For Russia, what matters more is hoping that the US will eventually agree to sit down and readjust the geopolitical landscape, supporting Putin's famous "new world order." How do we view this argument from the French media? Undoubtedly, Russia indeed shows more interest in direct negotiations with the US. However, it is incorrect to say that Russia's goal is to make the US ultimately agree to sit down and readjust the geopolitical landscape.
Why does Russia prefer to talk to the US? There are at least three reasons. First, the Ukrainian-Russian conflict appears to be a matter between Russia and Ukraine, but in Russia's perception, the root cause is NATO expansion. Therefore, to resolve the issue of NATO expansion, it must talk to the US. Second, after the Ukrainian-Russian war, the US led a series of sanctions against Russia. These sanctions can only be lifted through negotiations between the US and Russia.
Third, the results achieved by Russia on the battlefield must be confirmed by the US, a major power. From this perspective, Russia clearly understands that even if agreements are reached with Ukraine, whether conflicts will recur afterward, whether the countries behind Ukraine will tear up the agreements, and whether Western countries will lift the sanctions, all depend on the US. Therefore, the US is a key factor in the Ukrainian-Russian issue.
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832597455213642/
Disclaimer: The article represents the views of the author alone.