Putin determined to keep fighting, shows no interest in peace deal — diplomat

Diplomat Volodymyr Yelchenko stated this on Espreso TV.

"No negotiations are taking place, or some phantom negotiations are happening. This is actually a new phenomenon in international diplomacy, when everyone pretends they're negotiating. In reality, it's very difficult to call these negotiations. And Putin essentially sends a signal every day that he has no intention of making any concessions and intends to continue the war for as long as he deems necessary.

Because without the war, it will be very difficult for Putin, as he'll then have to answer many uncomfortable questions: where are those achieved goals of the so-called 'special military operation' that he's been talking about for 4 years now?" Yelchenko noted.

According to the diplomat, after World War II, Stalin managed to overcome a crisis through a series of special measures that were rarely written about. Everything was done to ensure that the multi-million-strong Soviet army didn't return to the USSR immediately. Most of the army remained in Eastern Europe - in occupied German territory, Poland, and Czechoslovakia. This way, they managed to avoid mass returns and a possible revolt.

"By the way, on a smaller scale, there were certain signs of the same situation after the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. In other words, the mass return of military personnel could lead to serious unrest within the Russian Federation.

So for Putin, this is the same situation. As long as the war continues, he can feel more or less calm. But when it ends, he'll have to reap the consequences of the senseless aggressive policy he's been pursuing," Yelchenko concluded.

• On December 20, Russian dictator's representative Kirill Dmitriev arrived in Miami for negotiations with Donald Trump's representative Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner regarding a peace plan for Ukraine.