Milan, Aug. 21 (LaPresse) – Does he believe Putin is seriously willing to end the war? “That’s a good question, because Moscow is not at all ready to exit the war. Putin’s strategy is to engage in lengthy negotiations without ever reaching a ceasefire, because he does not want to give up his pressure tools—namely, missiles against the civilian population. And the second element, which few understand, is the role of China. Russia is heavily dependent on China, not only economically. Moscow is at the lowest point of its sovereignty and independence. For Putin, it is extremely dangerous to enter into conflict with the United States, because he relies heavily on China and cannot confront both. The only thing that gives Putin power is the war in Ukraine. Therefore, it is predictable that he will continue the war, believing he has the resources for the front, while slowing down negotiations, trying to exploit conflicting interests among China, Europe, and the United States, and putting forward unrealistic negotiating conditions. He is already doing this,” said Mykhailo Podolyak, chief adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with La Repubblica.
“For Russia, a ceasefire is, in essence, a very unfavorable condition. It would deprive it of key tools to exert pressure on Ukraine. But what kind of peace can be stable when fighting is still ongoing?” he explained. In the event of a ceasefire, “at that point, any kind of issue could be on the table, territorial or political. President Zelensky himself has said so. But always starting from a position clearly based on international law.”