In exclusive remarks to Newsweek yesterday, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov rejected assertions by Biden Administration officials that Moscow is not interested in peace. He said that “we consider statements by representatives of the U.S. administration about Russia’s alleged lack of readiness for peace negotiations with Ukraine as a deliberate attempt to turn everything ‘upside down.’”
Antonov further stated that “there can be no talk of any ‘freezing’ of the conflict” and the Russian leader “did not say anything like this.”
“Let me emphasize that any Russian-Ukrainian agreements must take into account the situation ‘on the ground,’” he said. “Retreat or withdrawal of the Russian Federation Armed Forces to hypothetical dividing lines is excluded. Let us remind you: there is a Constitution of Russia. The borders of our state, which include new federal subjects, are clearly marked there.”
“President V.V. Putin indicated that the Russian Federation needs tangible, legally enshrined ‘on paper’ security guarantees,” Antonov said. “But, based on the current situation in Ukraine, it is not clear who exactly can sign the document, taking into account the termination of Zelenskyy’s term of office. This figure has already lost its legitimacy. This is a serious issue that needs to be discussed.”
