In fact, Zelensky does not want to sign a peace agreement: Zhdanov gives reasons
29 December 18:55
Military expert Oleh Zhdanov claims to have information that shows that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not actually intend to sign the proposed peace agreement, and that the current negotiating signals are rather an attempt to absolve himself of political and legal responsibility. He said this in a commentary to "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to him, the very logic of the agreements under discussion looks absurd and does not take into account the interests of Ukraine.
“They don’t take us into account at all”
Zhdanov calls “nonsense” the idea of agreements around Zaporizhzhia NPP in the format that Donald Trump is promoting. He is convinced that in this matter, Trump is actually defending Vladimir Putin’s position, in particular, regarding the resumption of electricity production at the occupied plant.
According to the expert, the very formulation of the issue – the sale of electricity to Ukraine from the nuclear power plant seized by Russia – shows that the Ukrainian side is not considered an equal participant there.
“They are ready to sell us electricity from our occupied power plant, but no one sees us there, neither in the management nor in the administration,” Zhdanov says.
He adds that if we are talking about the joint operation of several power units, Ukraine should logically receive part of the electricity without intermediaries. Under such conditions, the very idea of “selling” loses its meaning.
A constitutional trap
Zhdanov’s key argument is the legal component of possible agreements. He emphasizes: The Constitution of Ukraine explicitly prohibits putting the issue of territorial integrity to a referendum.
In his opinion, any attempt to legalize territorial concessions through a national vote is legally null and void.
“It is simply impossible. We need to throw away this Constitution and write a new one for a new state within new borders,” the expert said.
That is why, according to Zhdanov, Zelensky does not want to personally sign the peace agreement.
“I am not me and the horse is not mine”
According to the military expert, the president is trying to shift the responsibility to the Verkhovna Rada or a referendum to avoid personal responsibility for a potentially unpopular decision.
Zhdanov claims that there has already been information about Zelensky’s reluctance to sign such an agreement.
At the same time, the expert questions the very feasibility of the referendum: if the majority of Ukrainians vote against it, what should they do with the agreements already reached?
“This is complete nonsense. That’s why I say it’s unrealistic,” he concludes.
Zhdanov also links the intensification of the topic of “peace agreements” to domestic political processes in the United States. In his opinion, Trump needs a high-profile foreign policy case to block information scandals and prepare for the start of the midterm election campaign.
However, according to the expert, Moscow does not show any willingness to compromise. He recalls Putin’s and the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statements about the so-called “peace” conditions as of June 2024, which are actually demands for Ukraine’s surrender.
“Then what are they agreeing on at all?” Zhdanov asks a rhetorical question.
An alternative view
Military expert Dmitry Snegirev has a different opinion. He assesses a possible international model of Zaporizhzhia NPP management as potentially positive for Ukraine.
In his opinion, Kyiv currently has neither military nor diplomatic tools to return the plant to full control. In the face of electricity shortages, access to cheaper electricity could be critical for the economy.
Snegiryov also believes that an international consortium with the participation of the United States would mean not only an economic but also a political and military effect – the actual presence of the American side in the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia region.
“The presence of the American side in the uncontrolled Zaporizhzhia region puts an end to Russia’s attempts to gain full control over Zaporizhzhia region. This is what the United States’ diplomatic trap is for Russia. First of all, it is not about Zaporizhzhia NPP as such, but about the fact that the regional center of Zaporizhzhia, the largest industrial center of Ukraine, will remain under the control of the Ukrainian side,” Snegiryov said.
