Podolyak commented on the negotiations with Russia/collage of Channel 24
Against the backdrop of the atrocities of the Russian military in Ukraine, negotiations with Russia on a peaceful settlement of the war have partially stalled. The Office of the President warned Russia that the killing of Ukrainian military and civilians in Mariupol would nullify all attempts to reach an agreement.
Russia does not take into account how it looks from a reputational point of view
The course of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on the air of the Rada channel was commented by adviser to the head of the Presidential Office Mykhailo Podolyak. He said that Russia grossly disregards the rules and customs of war.
“And so we have Bucha, we have Mariupol and there will be other cities in which we will see exactly the same barbaric ways of waging war against Ukraine,” – said Podolyak.
Andriy Yermak's adviser stressed that Russia does not take into account how it looks from a reputational point of view.
The negotiation process is modeled by Zelensky
Mikhail Podolyak said that the negotiation process with Russia is being modeled by President Volodymyr Zelensky. It is the President who will decide whether Ukraine withdraws from the negotiations.
According to Podolyak, we can conclude that the so-called “red line” for Ukraine will be Mariupol.
The President will tell us whether to exit or continue. Of course, if the inhabitants and defenders of Mariupol who remained there are destroyed, then there will be no negotiation process as such. – said Podolyak.
After the Armed Forces of Ukraine knocked out the Russian military from the north of Ukraine, massive cases of atrocities against Ukrainians became known. Against this background, negotiations with Russia, as Podolyak said, are very difficult.
“In general, today the negotiation process is very difficult and viscous, because the emotional background in our country is completely different. This is not the background with which we started negotiations. War is war. But we see that this is no longer a war, but simply genocide, “he summed up.