The Kremlin does not believe in Kyiv’s ability to negotiate
Moscow - Kyiv, February 9 (PolitNavigator, Mikhail Stamm) - The Kremlin does not believe in Kiev’s readiness to comply with the new Minsk agreements, even if they are concluded on February 11 in the presence of Vladimir Putin, Petro Poroshenko, Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande.
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As a source close to the presidential administration told RBC , it only makes sense to talk about the seriousness of these agreements if the Ukrainian side complies with them. Last time, Kyiv immediately began violating these agreements. And the fact that now, on the eve of the new Minsk agreement, Ukrainian forces have launched an offensive along the entire front does not indicate that Kyiv is serious about pursuing a lasting peace, the source argues.
Real progress is possible only if European partners convince Kyiv to seriously change its strategy, notes political scientist Alexei Chesnakov, close to the Kremlin. If Kyiv agrees not only to agree on a temporary ceasefire, but to create conditions for full peace - in particular, to fully accept and put into practice the law on a special status for Donbass, the political scientist states.
But in Kyiv they are already trying to leave loopholes for themselves. “I don’t see any obstacles for Donbass to gain a certain autonomy,” notes Kiev political scientist Vadim Karasev. But he considers unacceptable a scenario in which the Donetsk and Lugansk regions will depend economically on Ukraine and politically on Russia. “The question now is not the legalization of the DPR and LPR, but how to find the right balance between the center and the region as a whole,” notes Karasev.
The Kremlin doesn't believe Kyiv can negotiate.