Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that the US–Russia agreement contains no “fundamentally new ideas” and suggested two paths—either agree to negotiations or continue the fight.
“The loudest topic is the new plan that the United States handed over to Ukraine. It caused a lot of emotions, concerns, and debates, distracting attention from the largest corruption scandal. But these are precisely the kinds of issues that require not emotions, but a cool head and sober analysis. So I suggest putting everything in order,” Kuleba wrote on Facebook.
The ex-Foreign Minister emphasized that the plan contains no fundamentally new ideas.
“All the key points currently being discussed are the same proposals that Russia has been promoting since March 2022. Yes, there are some new formal elements. But essentially, the document is just a slightly dressed-up version of the same Russian demands,” he explained.
Kuleba stressed that what is lost on the battlefield cannot be won at the negotiating table, calling this a rule of diplomacy and a “harsh truth of life.” In his view, it is currently impossible to force Russia to give up the territories it already controls in southern and eastern Ukraine. And even harder to convince it that the situation will not change in its favor over the next year.
“Putin is confident that time works for him, while Ukraine and its partners are on the verge of exhaustion. So his motivation to sign an agreement that does not give him the maximum is zero,” Kuleba noted.
According to him, neither this year nor the next should we expect proposals that would be fundamentally different from the 28 points (of the US–Russia agreement).
“If circumstances do not change in our favor (and so far it looks that way), next year we will lose even more people and territory, while on the table will be more or less the same points as now. It’s harsh, but that’s the reality, unfortunately,” Kuleba emphasized.
In his view, these circumstances can be changed with weapons and sanctions, and a better proposal for Ukraine can be won when the situation inside Russia deteriorates enough that Putin himself will be forced to stop the war and when Ukraine halts the Russian army’s advances on the front lines.
The former Foreign Minister stressed that Ukraine (both the state and society) must make a strategic decision. According to him, without going into details, there are two choices:
- Enter negotiations now, try to secure at least some changes to the proposed plan, and ultimately agree to its final version.
- Refuse the agreement, continue the fight, and work at home and abroad so that circumstances over time shift in Ukraine’s favor.
“The authorities will not be able to make one of these two fateful decisions without understanding that society will support it. Society will not be able to make a decision without a clear idea of what can be considered a victory for Ukraine. What do you support?” Kuleba concluded.
