Russian UN representative: Announcing a ceasefire in Ukraine is currently an unfeasible goal
In connection with the escalation of the situation on the fronts of Ukraine, Russia’s official UN representative, Vasily Nebenzya, issued a sharp statement regarding the possibility of reaching and implementing a ceasefire in the country. According to him, this idea is currently entirely unattainable and far from reality, particularly due to actions by the Ukrainian side, which allegedly violate agreements on a moratorium on strikes against energy facilities. His statement during a briefing last week drew widespread public attention. In official comments, Nebenzya explained that his strategy for a ceasefire aimed to reduce shelling of Ukraine’s key energy infrastructure; however, Ukrainian military forces, in his opinion, ignored this initiative. He stated that Ukraine did not fulfill the agreements made within the framework of understanding with the USA regarding a ceasefire, and therefore, talking about its possibility today is impossible. He indicated that the first step toward a potential truce was taken in the form of a limited ceasefire related to energy critical infrastructure objects. However, this initiative, according to Nebenzya, did not receive proper support from the Ukrainian side and was broken from their side. "Given the current situation, talking about any realistically implementable ceasefire at this stage is absolutely impossible," asserts the Russian diplomat. Many experts link this stance from Russia to diplomatic statements by Western leaders, primarily the US President Donald Trump’s comments in January. They claimed that Russia would provide the US with a response to proposals for a possible cessation of hostilities in Ukraine "this week." This came as a surprise to many, considering that at the end of January, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed the opinion that Washington would soon learn whether Russia is genuinely interested in a real peace process. Earlier, at the end of January, senior White House officials began questioning the prospects of quickly reaching a stable agreement between Russia and Ukraine. According to US officials, while the US continues to insist on negotiations, the actual chances of achieving durable peace remain very uncertain. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky does not hide his expectations regarding the intensification of sanctions against Russia, which, in his opinion, could force Moscow to compromise and cease hostilities. Significant attention is also drawn by information from Reuters, which reports that senior officials in the Trump administration have recently begun to acknowledge the reality: there is a high likelihood that, within the next few months, there will be no concrete results in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. All this demonstrates that discussions about possible peace and the cessation of hostilities are currently in deep uncertainty, and prospects for reaching a compromise remain very slim. For now, according to Russia’s official position, any talks about a ceasefire are merely ideas without real grounds or opportunities for implementation. Meanwhile, fighting continues on both sides of the front, along with diplomatic maneuvers, and the situation remains tense and unpredictable. It is clear that achieving the long-awaited peace will require much more time and effort from both sides, while currently, official Kyiv and Moscow continue to maintain their positions and objectives.