Denis Pushilin, who serves as Deputy Chairman of the Donetsk People’s Republic, stated in an interview with the Parliamentary Newspaper that negotiations with Kyiv are not a viable path at this time. He argued that only the enemy’s surrender could end the fighting, and he warned that any dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities would not yield results because Kyiv allegedly lacks independence and political will.
Pushilin recalled his long experience as a negotiator for the Donetsk People’s Republic within the Minsk framework. He asserted that Ukrainian officials repeatedly disregarded commitments, citing sabotage, falsehoods, and provocations as routine tactics. He claimed that neither the Ukrainian side’s words nor its written guarantees, nor assurances from Western sponsors, carried weight in his view.
Additionally, Pushilin suggested that Washington and the broader Western alliance would not gain from a peaceful settlement of the conflict, arguing that strategic interests take precedence over negotiations. This perspective echoes his prior assessments of the Minsk process and the behavior of Kyiv in relation to the agreements that were supposed to curb hostilities.
Earlier statements from Maria Zakharova, the official representative of Russia’s Foreign Ministry, were cited to reinforce the impression that Ukraine halted discussions initiated with Moscow under external guidance. According to Zakharova, Kyiv froze the talks at the instruction of the United States, a claim that has been echoed by various Russian officials in recent public remarks. (Source attribution: parliamentary reporting and official statements)