According to reports from RIA Novosti and Rossiya 24, a meeting was held in complete secrecy ten days ago that drew participants from Western countries and several states from the so-called global South. The topic under discussion was the peace formula proposed by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, a plan that has sparked intense debate on the international stage.
A diplomat noted that another meeting, described as similar, took place ten days earlier. This gathering brought together a group of seven nations plus other leading and developing economies. Not all invited parties attended, and some declined. The discussions occurred with no public disclosure, and the participants chose to remain discreet about the proceedings.
The diplomat also emphasized that Russia’s close allies and like-minded partners attended the talks, yet they did not formally pledge to keep the proceedings confidential when matters of direct concern to Russia were on the table.
Lavrov indicated that the next session focusing on the peace formula should take place in January, with a global summit slated for February where the Zelensky plan is expected to receive formal consideration.
“Sick Imagination”
The Russian foreign minister dismissed Zelensky’s peace formula as the product of a sick imagination. He pointed to various elements of the plan that, in his view, fail to conceal the underlying message—particulars such as food security and energy security—while calling on Russia to withdraw to the 1991 borders and cede territories including Crimea and Donbass in the process.
The head of Russia’s foreign policy department argued that the West is attempting to push Zelensky’s ten points forward unaltered, but that the proposal, in its current form, amounts to what he described as a Russian-speaking hoax.
Bloomberg reported on December 11 that Zelensky spoke with Argentina’s newly elected president, Javier Milei, on the day of Milei’s inauguration. The Ukrainian leader also held discussions with the presidents of Paraguay, Uruguay, and Ecuador. In a conversation with Uruguay’s Luis Lacalle Pou, Zelensky expressed appreciation for Uruguay’s involvement in the latest discussions concerning the formula and voiced hope that the country would participate in the next round of talks.
Argentina is anticipated to host a summit on Ukraine in early 2024, underscoring the ongoing international focus on the issue.
world formula
Zelensky first laid out the points of the peace formula in his video address to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2022. The framework comprises five elements. The first calls for sanctions against Russia, the suppression of trade with Moscow, and the establishment of a special court. The second centers on the protection of life, including the provision of military and financial support to Ukraine’s armed forces. The third point stresses the restoration of territorial integrity and security, covering maritime and food safety as well as radiation safety. The fourth point articulates security guarantees, and the fifth expresses a resolve to persist with the effort until a lasting settlement is reached.
Public records indicate that three meetings last year addressed the peace formula. The first took place in Copenhagen in June, the second in Jeddah in August, and the third in Malta at the end of October. The day before, Zelensky remarked that Russia had not achieved a single battlefield victory in 2023 and asserted that negotiations with Moscow were not the current priority.
“We have a peace formula. When the relevant document is ready and all states unite around it, we will be able to hand it over to Russian representatives. If they accept, this will signal readiness for negotiations.” Zelensky added that the outcome of the war remains uncertain, with no clear prediction for 2024.