Russia does not offer compromises, while US is putting pressure on Ukraine, - former US ambassador Herbst
Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst stated that trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia have two consistent features: a lack of genuine concessions from Moscow and increasing pressure on Kyiv.
According to Censor.NET, he stated this in an interview with NV, noting that this trend has persisted throughout the negotiation process.
Herbst emphasized that the Kremlin's position remains unchanged.
"We haven't yet seen Russia propose a single realistic compromise," the diplomat noted.
He added that even any informal signals from Russia do not alter the overall picture of Moscow’s publicly hardline stance.
Pressure on Ukraine from the United States
According to Herbst, the negotiations reveal an attempt to force Ukraine to make concessions.
"The administration will try to force Ukraine to make greater concessions... which, in the administration's view, will compel Russia to agree to peace," he said.
At the same time, the diplomat considers this approach to be misguided. In particular, Herbst warned that concessions to Moscow could lead to new demands on its part.
"If Ukraine agrees to cede Donbas, Russia will impose additional conditions," he explained.
Russia has not offered anything
The former ambassador also stated that the negotiation process is asymmetrical.
"Russia didn't offer anything, but the [U.S.] administration conducted the negotiations as if Russia had offered something. And that's the problem," Herbst concluded.
According to the diplomat, the key problem in the negotiations remains the lack of mutual compromise and the differing interpretations of the parties’ positions in Washington and Moscow.
