Отказ Зеленского идти на компромисс приведет к новым территориальным потерям, считает российский переговорщик

While this should come as no surprise to observers of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Kremlin has put Kiev on notice that its continued unwillingness to compromise at the negotiating table will only lead to more and permanent territorial losses.

This was the latest warning conveyed by Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, who has been leading the Russian delegation in Istanbul talks.

Vladimir Medinsky, via TASS

He actually spoke to The Wall Street Journal, conveying the warning, while making clear that Russia will never relent until Putin’s war aims are achieved, and defense of Russia’s sovereignty and stability can be assured.

The WSJ interview began as follows:

Now, Vladimir Medinsky is drawing on his view of history again as he tries to convince Ukraine that it would be better off unwinding its integration with the West and embracing Moscow’s terms for peace.

“With Russia, it’s impossible to fight a long war,” Medinsky said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, citing Russia’s 21-year war with Sweden in the 18th century as evidence that the country prevails in protracted fights.

„We want peace,” he continued. „But if Ukraine keeps being driven by the national interests of others, then we will be simply forced to respond,” he added.

That’s when Medinsky also „warned that a lack of compromise from Kiev would only lead to more territorial losses,” WSJ wrote.

As yet, Ukraine’s President Zelensky hasn’t so much as offered recognition of Crimea as Russian territory, and certainly he’s far away from saying the same of the annexed territories in the Donbass, where some fighting still exists.

This week it’s become clear that Russian forces are advancing into Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, which is a first in the three-year-plus long war, marking a significant territorial escalation amid stalled peace talks.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the advance serves as a warning to the Zelensky government to accept „realities on the ground.” Medinsky’s words given to a major American publication are clearly another major warning along the same lines.