Zelenskyy and Trump failed. Putin wants to distance himself from collapse of talks – Russian media
Photo: Vladimir Putin, Russian President (Getty Images)
Russian propaganda seeks to shift the blame for the breakdown of peace talks onto Ukraine and the United States. This is how Russians will be told why the war could not be ended, Vyorstka reports.
An unnamed source close to the domestic policy bloc of the Russian leader's administration told the news agency that "everyone understood" peace before Easter was impossible, and "no one was under any illusions."
At the same time, according to the source, propagandists were instructed to "present the situation carefully," and no one claimed that peace was imminent. However, certain sentiments among Russians "formed nonetheless."
"The main task now is to convey that we have nothing to do with this. It's them (the Trump administration – ed.) who failed to reach an agreement with Zelenskyy," the Vyorstka source added.
Another source from the agency complained that key issues "critical for Russia" remain unresolved, including the "inviolability" of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, as well as the so-called DPR and LPR (Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics - ed.). Meanwhile, Russia is displeased that Ukraine refuses to hold elections during wartime.
According to the source, the United States also believes that holding elections in Ukraine under such conditions is inappropriate.
Peace negotiations
Back in March, Ukraine agreed to the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia. Ukrainian officials insisted on setting clear timeframes for the truce to avoid a frozen conflict.
However, Russia rejected this US initiative. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that a ceasefire would require meeting a number of his conditions, which involve weakening Ukraine.
