The war between Russia and Ukraine will not end this year either — media
According to Reuters sources, Moscow is using the negotiations to ease sanctions, while a peace agreement is impossible this year.
Five European intelligence chiefs who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity indicated that Russia does not want to end the war. Four of them said Moscow is using negotiations involving the U.S. to push for sanctions relief and business deals.
One of the European intelligence chiefs assessed that the latest round of talks, which took place in Geneva this week, is a "theater of negotiations."
According to Reuters, these statements reveal a "stunning divergence in views" between European capitals and the White House. According to the Ukrainian side, the White House wants to reach a peace agreement by June, ahead of the midterm elections in the U.S. Congress in November. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready for a deal.
"Russia is not striving for a peace agreement. It wants to achieve its strategic goals — and those goals have not changed," said one of the European intelligence chiefs.
According to them, these goals include removing Volodymyr Zelenskyy from power and turning Ukraine into a "neutral buffer zone" between Russia and the West.
Another intelligence chief emphasized that Russia does not need a quick peace and that its economy is "not on the brink of disaster."
