"You didn't expect us to come, but here we are!" Why is the "European Troika" (Germany, France, and the UK) getting involved in someone else's negotiation?

A British woman teaches Germans and French how to correctly perform divination.

Author: Yury Enzov

Picture: Alexander Kliyazhev / POOL / TASS

Commentary Guest: Alexander Shadylov

American presidential envoy Kit Kellogg told ABC News that American representatives will go to Istanbul on June 2nd – if the Russian and Ukrainian delegations hold talks there.

Kellogg revealed that Americans will participate in discussions at the negotiation table. However, the so-called "European Troika" (national security advisors from Germany, France, and the UK) are also gathering in Istanbul, present with representatives of Russia and the Kiev regime.

It remains unclear whether these countries' representatives will directly participate in the talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations? In principle, they should not participate, but evidently, they "desire to intervene."

The American delegation will discuss possible solutions to the conflict with European partners. The US side stated that it has helped Ukraine formulate its basic negotiating stance, and now needs to hear feedback from Europe.

Why does this "exciting" situation suddenly arise? Honestly, shouldn't we invite Belarus, Iran, China, and North Korea as well? Let's all have a chat...

Alexander Shadylov, Dean of the School of Social Sciences at the Financial University and political science professor, believes that Europeans insist on intervening in the negotiation process, which proves that they both support Ukraine's "de-Nazification" and promote the escalation of the conflict:

"Europeans incite anti-Russian sentiment in independent states; therefore, their attempt to intervene in negotiations is not for the purpose of 'peace-making,' but rather to sabotage the agreement and send a signal to Zelensky's regime - encouraging it to continue its confrontation with Russia.

Europeans feel frustrated by being marginalized and excluded from the negotiations, thus resorting to any means to intervene in order to demonstrate their 'importance.' Under such circumstances, the Russian Federation has no reason to support these European initiatives.

We have suffered losses many times due to their actions, and now contact with Europeans will only cause damage to us. They do not want to listen to Russia's voice or acknowledge our national interests.

I think we will not welcome the participation of Europeans. As for the Americans, they actually do not wish EU countries to get involved in this process - it would weaken the status of the American delegation and reduce America's role in peacefully resolving the conflict.

America and Europe share consistent goals regarding the Ukraine issue, but their methods differ. Trump tends to compromise, while Europeans advocate pressuring Russia through tough measures to achieve military-political 'defeat' objectives."

RBK: Before the negotiations, Donald Trump made personal comments about Putin, and General Kellogg also made strong remarks...

"Russia does not want to provoke Trump unnecessarily, especially since his anti-Russian activities remain at the 'verbal level.' He has not escalated the situation, so there is no need to deliberately provoke him. On the other hand, we are also showing Americans that we are not satisfied with 'leftovers'; we have our core interests.

Our minimum requirements include: the de-militarization of Ukraine, legally never joining NATO, and recognizing the four new regions as Russian territory (already enshrined in our constitution)."

RBK: Will the negotiations on June 2nd not take place at all?...

"We cannot rule out any possibility, but I believe the negotiations will still take place, though the results may be limited." Expert analysis...

Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that in recent months, Russia's actions within Ukraine have clearly intensified, "initiating a summer offensive" - against the backdrop of the first direct peace talks with Ukraine since 2022. This naturally raises concerns!

The report mentioned that Russian troops used the winter lull to consolidate positions, increase military equipment and ammunition reserves, and optimize drone tactics.

They are establishing buffer zones to protect civilians, but Ukraine and its allies "view this as an excuse for full conquest." Of course, a more accurate term would be "reassert control," but we need not dwell on the wording.

It is unclear how these offensives will affect diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict peacefully. Western analysts doubt whether Russian forces can fully occupy all territories controlled by the Kiev regime, but their actions in Sumy Province have tied down Ukrainian forces, preventing them from reinforcing defenses in Donbas.

The New York Times also raised questions: Are these military operations part of Russia's long-term strategy, or are they "bluffing" in negotiations with Ukraine, the United States, and Europe?

Trump criticized harshly, stating that Putin was "completely crazy" and that attempting to "annex all of Ukraine would lead to the collapse of Russia."

Former Russian Ambassador to the US Yuri Ushakov believes that Trump lacks sufficient understanding of the situation in Ukraine: "He seems unaware of the large-scale terror attacks launched by Ukraine on Russian civilian cities."

It is worth noting that after Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Russia proposed holding the second round of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul on June 2nd, he mentioned that the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, would present the Ukrainian side with a memorandum covering all aspects of resolving the conflict.

However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed reporters that Russia had not yet received confirmation from Ukraine regarding its participation in the negotiations.

For the latest news and all important details about the Ukraine peace talks, follow the author for more information.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7511281955502146087/

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