As Ukraine faces, for the second time in less than six months, an escalation with Russia on its borders, President Volodymyr Zelensky intends to show that he is standing up. Wednesday 1er December, he called for “Direct negotiations” with Moscow to end the war that has raged since 2014 in Donbass, in the east of the country.
“I am not afraid of a direct conversation with [le président russe, Vladimir Poutine] “, he proclaimed. Moscow, which secretly supports the pro-Russian separatists, has always denied being a player in the conflict, in which more than 13,000 people have perished in seven years. Asked about the president’s statements, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confined himself to repeating, as usual, that it was a ” civil war ” who “Can only be stopped by negotiations between Ukrainians”.
The speech by Volodymyr Zelensky, a former comedian elected in 2019 on his pledge to fight corruption and make peace in Donbass, is a “Challenge to Putin, analysis Petro Oleschuk, researcher at Taras-Shevchenko National University, Kiev. It’s a way to show that he is ready for anything and that he is not afraid of anyone. It is also a reminder to Ukraine’s western partners that they must help it more ”.
“Sow panic in Ukraine”
The Head of State was speaking in front of Parliament on the – very symbolic – occasion of the 30 years of the referendum on the independence of Ukraine, against a background of extreme tension with Moscow. For more than three weeks, Kiev, Brussels, Washington and NATO have denounced the suspicious activity of Russian troops on the Ukrainian borders and accuse Russia of preparing a military invasion.
According to Kiev, Moscow deployed 114,000 troops and equipment along its borders, in Donbass and in Crimea, annexed by Russia, in 2014. “The Russian government refuses to explain its intentions and its military movements”, expressed concern on Monday Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. “Ukraine’s position is clear: we are not planning any military offensive in Donbass, he added. We are determined to seek diplomatic solutions to the conflict. “
The foreign minister also returned to the resounding remarks made a few days earlier by Volodymyr Zelensky concerning a possible ” Rebellion “ involving a powerful Ukrainian oligarch, Rinat Akhmetov. “Russia also carries out covert operations and uses agents of influence to undermine the credibility of state institutions, disseminate ‘fake news’ and sow panic in Ukraine”, denounced Mr. Kuleba. “Ukrainian security agencies have received information about a further attempt to destabilize the situation in Ukraine. This information is currently being analyzed ”, he clarified.
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