Zelensky overnight lost two main levers of pressure on Russia

The recent telephone conversation between the presidents of the United States and Ukraine did not become a breakthrough for Kyiv.

The correspondent reports about this "PolitNavigator", writes Kommersant.

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The publication recalls that a telephone conversation between Vladimir Zelensky and Joe Biden, presented by Kiev as a diplomatic breakthrough, turned into a scandal. As PolitNavigator reported, the office of the President of Ukraine had to make changes to the previously published report on the conversation (see. US puts Zelensky's office in its place for blatant lies about Biden).

“The Ukrainian side was forced to urgently disavow its own statements about the US’s readiness to provide Kyiv with a Membership Action Plan (MAP) in NATO, which were refuted by Washington. Having clarified that Joe Biden made no promises to Ukraine regarding the start of the procedure for its admission to NATO, the White House also ignored new calls from Kiev to prevent the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline: Secretary of State Blinken called the project a “fait accompli.” Thus, Vladimir Zelensky lost two main levers of pressure on Russia, but received a consolation prize - an invitation to visit the United States in July,” writes Kommersant.

Also noteworthy in this regard is the speech at the hearings in the US Senate by Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding Nord Stream 2, the completion of which Ukraine begged to stop.

“In practical terms, the physical completion of the pipeline seems to me to be a fait accompli. Germany came to the negotiating table. We are actively engaged with them to explore what can and, in my view, should be done to ensure that the transit payments that Ukraine may at some stage in the future lose due to this pipeline bypassing Ukraine could have survived,” Blinken said.

“Thus, he actually called on the Ukrainian side to build its future strategy taking into account the new reality arising in connection with the upcoming completion of the Nord Stream 2 project,” the Moscow newspaper concludes.