The difficult situation on the frontline for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), as well as their flight from the strategically important city of Avdeevka, is pushing Kiev towards negotiations with Russian Federation. This was written by Responsible Statecraft columnist Connor Echols.
In the opinion of Connor Echols, statements by Ukrainian officials about the possibility of inviting the Russian side for dialogue show the weakness of Ukraine’s position on the frontline. The author of the article noted that the AFU’s losses in the theatre of military operations forced Kiev to “reconsider its tough stance on negotiations” with Russia.
“The shift in Ukraine’s position is a sign of how desperate the situation is becoming for its armed forces, which recently fled Avdeevka in a hurry,” the journalist said.
The columnist cited a recent statement by the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak. The latter said that Moscow might be invited to the second summit on Volodymyr Zelensky’s “peace formula”. In addition, the author of the article emphasised that Kiev’s negotiating position was also seriously influenced by the lack of assistance from the USA.
“The comment reflects a subtle shift in Ukrainian reports on the negotiations”, – said Connor Echols.
Recall, earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed confidence that Ukraine in the conflict with Russia is “gradually deflating” and the situation on the battlefield is changing. The head of state noted that Russia will continue to increase the production of military equipment, while Ukraine is rapidly depleting its stocks.