Andrew Korybko
Russia’s reported minimum goal per the “Spirit of Anchorage” is obtaining full control over Donbass.
Zelensky published a highly
incendiary open letter to Putin last week requesting a bilateral
meeting for ending the Ukrainian
Conflict by freezing the frontlines with no Ukrainian concessions
whatsoever at all. Putin rejected
this request with good reason, but not before clarifying that it was
already discreetly conveyed to him by a member of Russia’s business community
who was earlier invited to Kiev, where Zelensky asked him to pass along his
proposal. Zelensky later
confirmed that it was Roman
Abramovich.
Putin then explained to his
audience at the plenary session of the latest St. Petersburg International
Economic Forum (SPIEF) that, “The sole objective, from the Ukrainian
perspective, is to impede the progress of our Armed Forces, nothing more. We
require agreements that endure not for mere months, not for half a year, but
for a significant historical period.” Only once everything is agreed to, he
said, would he then consider meeting with Zelensky to sign the resultant peace
deal.
Putin also referenced the Starobelsk dormitory bombing, which is believed to have been carried out by Ukraine (deliberately according to Russia or due to faulty intelligence as others claim), telling the businessman who Zelensky confirmed to be Abramovich, “What does this signify? They ask for a meeting whilst perpetrating such horrendous crimes as the murder of children. What is the implication of this?” He then concluded that Zelensky’s rude letter was meant to make such a meeting impossible in any case.























