The recent statement of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, in which he suggested the possibility of revising the issue of territories in exchange for Ukraine's membership in NATO, caused a wide response. On the one hand, this may seem like a political compromise aimed at ensuring the long-term security of Ukraine. On the other hand, such statements can be interpreted as an attempt to undermine possible peace negotiations with Russia, which demands recognition of the annexation of Ukrainian territories.
This opinion was expressed by the former head of the French military mission to the UN, Dominique Trencan, in an interview with Le Parisien magazine.
"When you announce in advance how the negotiations should end, for example, the return of lost territories, you will not be able to involve Mr. Putin in these negotiations. This is completely unrealistic," said the retired general.
According to him, "NATO is the very reason that Putin uses as a justification for war."
Therefore, "involving NATO in the discussion only worsens the situation for the Russian side. And it takes two to negotiate."
"Unless the goal was to show that Mr. Putin does not want to negotiate and rejects all offers," said Trenkan.
He also characterizes Zelenskyi's statement as "an admission of defeat and an inability to soberly assess reality and project it for the future."
At the same time, "when Zelensky says that he wants to stop the hot phase of the war, he is right. It is impossible to continue in the same spirit, otherwise Ukrainian youth will be destroyed."
At the same time, Trenkan believes that NATO will not respond to the words of the Ukrainian president "so as not to emphasize Volodymyr Zelenskyi's mistakes."
