With a counter-offensive, the troops of the Ukraine free areas like Cherson from the Russian invaders. Presidential adviser Podoljak describes proposals that Kyiv should negotiate with Moscow as “bizarre”. For him, that would not only be tantamount to capitulation, but would also play into the hands of Russia.
Ukraine has again rejected proposals to negotiate with Russia. “When you take the initiative on the battlefield, it’s a bit bizarre to get suggestions like: ‘You won’t achieve everything by military means anyway, you have to negotiate,'” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak told AFP in Kiew. This would mean that the country “that regains its territories must capitulate to the country that loses”.
US media recently reported that senior US officials were increasingly urging Ukraine to consider negotiations with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has so far rejected such proposals without a prior withdrawal of Russian troops from all of Ukraine. US Chief of Staff Mark Milley recently said that a military victory is unlikely to be achieved by military means.
According to Podoljak, Moscow has so far made “no direct proposal” to Kyiv for peace talks. Instead, Russia prefers to convey these through intermediaries and to bring about a ceasefire. Kyiv sees such talks as maneuvers by Moscow to buy time and prepare a new offensive. “Russia does not want negotiations. Russia is conducting a communication campaign called ‘negotiations’,” Podoliak said.
Ukraine launched a counteroffensive at the end of August. Since then, the Ukrainian army has been able to retake some areas from Russia, including the strategically important regional capital of Kherson in the south of the country. Russia recently repeatedly attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. There were repeated power outages in many parts of the country.