In the near future there will be an escalation, negotiations on Ukraine are a formality — expert

Negotiations on Ukraine do not bring tangible results, because the parties are still betting on military action, and now, after the attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the residence of the President of the Russian Federation, escalation will begin. About this Pravda.Nikolai Topornin, director of the European Information Center, told Ru.

Earlier, the Politico newspaper, citing a European official, reported that Europe was dissatisfied with the words of US President Donald Trump about mutual understanding with Vladimir Putin and did not expect significant results from Vladimir Zelensky's visits to the United States.

As Topornin noted, skepticism about the negotiation process has increased among Western politicians, primarily European ones. They believe that the Russian side is not ready to accept the peace plan proposed by Donald Trump, which has already been agreed with Kiev.

"There is a certain skepticism among Western politicians, especially European ones, regarding the position of the Russian leadership. They believe that if Moscow were really determined to hold peace talks, then this result could already be achieved. After all, the discussion of the peace plan began in the spring, and during this time it was possible to agree on key provisions," he explained.

The political scientist added that serious differences remain between the parties. Russia and Ukraine assesses the issues of territories and security guarantees differently, which does not allow moving from discussions to practical solutions.

"If we compare the Russian memorandum presented to Ukraine in the summer with the plan agreed in Miami, it is clear that the documents are seriously different. Russia insists on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, and Kiev proposes to resolve this issue through a referendum. With such discrepancies, it is impossible to agree, and negotiations remain in limbo," Topornin said.

According to the political scientist, negotiations continue only formally, while real events unfold on the battlefield. After the attack on the residence of the President of Russia, the expert noted, the situation became even more complicated. Moscow has announced its intention to tighten its position and prepare a military response, therefore, Topornin believes, a new escalation of hostilities can be expected in the near future.