When he arrived as part of the Russian negotiating team for the first Russian-American meeting in the spring, he emphasized that he would only speak on economic matters.Now, during his visit to the U.S., he discussed three components — all political. One of these concerns territories where, according to Dmitriev, “the Russian population was attacked by Ukrainian troops even before the conflict began.”Everything is as usual: cynicism without limits. We all remember the justification for the Russian invasion of Donbas in 2014 — “behind the backs of women and children” — when the civilian population, supposedly being “protected” by the Russian army, was in fact used as a shield to fuel Russia's aggression. Even then, Crimea was openly called a Russian “special operation.” Today, after the full-scale invasion, during which Russian forces are systematically destroying Ukrainian cities in the east and south, claims of “protecting” Russians from Ukrainian “attacks” have no adressee — it is unclear whose ears these statements are meant for.As for the other two components — neutrality and security guarantees — these are no longer just a matter for Ukraine. They concern the security of the entire European region.Russia interprets the strengthening of Ukraine’s defense capabilities and Western aid as an unacceptable form of “security guarantees,” all while continuing both the hot war in Ukraine and a hybrid war against Western alliance countries. Once again, it seems that Russia is searching for pseudo-justifications to continue its war.In a nutshell: with such components — a mix of propaganda and abstract positions — Russia might as well “go take a walk in the woods.”If the Russian Federation were truly committed to a peaceful negotiation process, it would prioritize two issues above all: the demarcation line (rather than the legal recognition of Ukraine’s territories as part of Russia, echoing the earlier Russian approach of referring to “the part that is still called Ukraine,” i.e., the desire to destroy Ukrainian statehood) and the composition and mandate of any contingent or mission acceptable to both Ukraine and Russia along that line.SourceAbout the author. Olesia Yakhno, Ukrainian journalist, political scientistThe editorial team does not always share the opinions expressed by blog authors.