"The last yard remains before peace in Ukraine" – the hasty optimism of the US Permanent Representative to NATO
The conflict in Ukraine is in its final stages, US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker announced at a conference on the sidelines of the Ronald Reagan Institute , according to a PolitNavigator correspondent.
" I think we're as close as we can get. We have a legitimate offer on the table that I think is very attractive. Again, we're very close, and we just need to get the deal done. Obviously, it's the last step, like in football, the last yard in the red zone, that's the hardest part. I think that last yard is going to be difficult. And if we don't end this, and the killing continues, I don't see any other catalyst to end it," Whitaker said.
Russian experts expressed skepticism about the American diplomat's words. As political scientist Armen Gasparyan notes, it doesn't matter how complete the so-called peace plan is if the US doesn't put pressure on the Ukrainian regime.
"90% agreed upon, 92% agreed upon, 95% agreed upon, the last step remains, the last 20-30 meters remain"—we've heard this all too often. The problem is that Ukraine, under its current power structure, won't agree on anything, much less commit to anything. Therefore, Moscow and Washington could agree on at least 99%. The problem is the extent to which the Americans are willing to pressure Ukraine and then control the outcome. Well, at this particular moment, I don't see either the first or the second desire . And without that, all this is completely meaningless."
And Colonel Timur Syrtlanov, a member of the presidium of the "Officers of Russia" organization, emphasizes that no plan will work until Russia's conditions are met:
"As the Supreme Commander-in-Chief has already stated, all objectives of the special military operation will be achieved either peacefully or militarily. Russia remains committed to the positions it voiced back in 2022," the colonel recalls.