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to the US and its European allies. “Basically, yes. They blocked it, and I thought they were wrong [to do so],” he said, speaking of the efforts to end the war in March and April last year.
Schroeder also confirmed that the Europeans didn’t push for the deal. “They have failed. There would have been a window in March 2022. The Ukrainians were ready to talk about Crimea. This was even confirmed by Bild newspaper at the time,” Schroeder said holding up a copy of the German daily with the title "Finally peace in sight?"
Bild reported at the time that Zelenskiy was no longer insisting on his country's accession into Nato and that he was also
Schroeder also said that Bucha didn’t change anything. Interviewed by the BBC on-the-ground in Bucha, Zelenskiy confirmed to a reporter that the peace deal talks were still on: “I have to [have these talks],” Zelenskiy said at the time.
The Berliner Zeitung reporter repeated to Schroeder Ukrainian statements that the Bucha massacres committed by the Russian soldiers meant the end of the negotiations.
“Nothing was known about Bucha during the talks with Umerov on March 7 and 13,” Schroeder replied. “I think the Americans didn't want the compromise between Ukraine and Russia. The Americans believe they can keep the Russians
“What do the Russians want? Status
quo in Donbass and Crimea. Not more.
I think it was a fatal mistake that Putin started the war. It is clear to me that Russia feels threatened. Look: Turkey
is a Nato member. There are missiles that can reach Moscow directly. The USA wanted to bring Nato to Russia's western border, with Ukraine as a new member, for example. All of this felt like a threat to the Russians. There are also irrational points of view. I don't want to deny that. The Russians responded with a mix of both fear and forward defence. That's why no one in Poland, the Baltics, and certainly not in Germany – all Nato members, by the way – has to believe they are in danger. The Russians would not start a war with any Nato member,” Schroeder concluded.
Schroeder noted that while the West continued to supply Ukraine with arms, it was not combining that with an offer to start talks.
“If you combine that with an offer, you can do that,” said Schroeder. “Why do [German Chancellor Olaf] Scholz and [French President Emmanuel] Macron not combine the arms deliveries with an offer to talk? Macron and Scholz are the only ones who can talk to Putin... None of the people who matter are moving. The only one who got anything done, even though he is always vilified, was [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan with his grain agreement. This really bothers me.”
Schroeder described what he regarded as Russian paranoia over Western expansion and said any deal would have to take account of Russian fears.
“Nobody in the West wants to hear it: No matter who is in power, there is
a conviction in Russia that the West wants to expand further with Nato, namely into the post-Soviet space. Keywords: Georgia and Ukraine. No one at the head of Russia will allow this. This threat analysis may be emotional, but it is real in Russia. The West must understand this and accept compromises accordingly, otherwise peace will be difficult to achieve....” Schroeder ended.
“Zelenskiy was no longer insisting on his country's accession into Nato and that he was also ready for a “compromise” on Crimea and the breakaway provinces in the Donbass”
ready for a “compromise” on Crimea and the breakaway provinces in the Donbass.
bne IntelliNews reported at the time that Ukraine was prepared to give up
on its Nato ambitions, and that this was announced by members of the Ukraine negotiating team meeting with their Russian counterparts during the several weeks the talks went on.
Schroeder insisted that the US was in the driving seat of the negotiations, although the White House has repeatedly stated that the only people that can decide to start ceasefire talks are the Ukrainians. Schroeder flatly contradicted that rhetoric.
“[The Ukrainians] first had to ask the Americans about everything they discussed... My impression: Nothing could happen because everything else was decided in Washington. That was fatal. Because the result will now be
that Russia will be tied more closely to China, which the West should not want,” Schroeder said.
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down. Now it is the case that two actors, China and Russia, who are constrained by the USA, are joining forces. Americans believe they are strong enough to keep both parties in check.
In my humble opinion, this is a mistake. Just look at how torn the American side is now. Look at the chaos in Congress.”
However, Schroeder did not end his interview without offering some hope for peace. Asked if he thought the peace plan could be revived he replied: “Yes. And the only ones who can initiate this are France and Germany.”
Asked how the West could come to trust the Russians after the litany of broken promises in the lead-up to the war and since it started, Schroeder scoffed at the idea that Russia has ambitions to invade Europe.
“We have no threat. This fear of the Russians coming is absurd. How are they supposed to defeat Nato, let alone occupy Western Europe?” Schroeder replied.