Advisor to the President’s Office explains why the politico-military negotiation block is currently inactive
Political negotiations to end the war in Ukraine are currently on hold due to the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. At the same time, work on prisoner exchanges continues as usual.
This was stated by the advisor to the President’s Office of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak, as reported by RBC-Ukraine, referencing his statement during a television broadcast.
Also read: Zelensky invited a U.S. delegation to Kyiv to resume negotiations
Why negotiations are on pause
According to the advisor to the President’s Office, the situation on the international stage directly impacts the diplomatic process in Ukraine. As long as the active phase of the war in the Middle East continues, the political part of the negotiations will not progress.
“The politico-military part of the negotiations is on pause, while the humanitarian part continues to function. The President and Budanov have announced opportunities for continuing prisoner exchanges, and accordingly, this part of the work is ongoing,” Podolyak noted.
Changing attitudes towards Russia and Ukraine
Podolyak pointed out that Russia’s support for Iran has led to irreversible changes in how Moscow is perceived by Middle Eastern countries. The attitude towards the aggressor has evolved from neutral to overtly negative.
At the same time, Ukraine’s subjectivity on the international stage has significantly increased, creating a new context for future diplomatic efforts.
Diplomatic efforts to end the war
Recall that recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed negotiators to raise the issue of his personal meeting with Kremlin head Vladimir Putin in Geneva to discuss territorial matters.
At the same time, the head of state firmly rejected the possibility of any territorial concessions, particularly exchanging occupied Donbas for border areas.
Earlier, Russia claimed that trilateral negotiations were allegedly “on pause” due to the American side’s commitments. In response, Volodymyr Zelensky invited a U.S. delegation to Kyiv for consultations at the technical group level.
