Sabotage demand: Kiev will again try to accuse Russia of disrupting negotiations
Kiev is putting forward unacceptable conditions for Russia in order to accuse Moscow of disrupting the negotiations, the Russian Foreign Ministry told Izvestia. Vladimir Zelensky unexpectedly announced his alleged readiness to hold elections in Ukraine, while insisting on ensuring security by the forces of the United States and Europe. In practice, this means a truce outside the peace agreement, which contradicts Moscow's position. Now Zelensky is taking his time to rewrite the terms of the agreement proposed by Donald Trump: rejecting the American plan, Kiev and Brussels are agreeing on their own. The words of the heads of the Kiev regime should not be taken seriously, Verkhovna Rada deputy Artyom Dmitruk told Izvestia. What Ukraine is trying to achieve is in the Izvestia article.
Zelensky's New Tricks
Kiev will again try to accuse Russia of disrupting the negotiations, Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry's ambassador-at-large for crimes committed by the Kiev regime, told Izvestia. Ukraine is bluffing in response to pressure from the United States and Trump's demands to move forward as much as possible according to his proposed plan.
— In this case, it seems to me that this is more like a delay in time and such a card bluff. <...> Kiev wants to rewrite the conditions proposed by Trump as much as possible. And, in fact, he (Kiev. — Izvestia) He is trying to achieve unacceptable conditions for Russia, so that the next step is simply to accuse it of disrupting negotiations — this is the main task," he said.
Vladimir Zelensky
On November 9, Vladimir Zelensky, whose presidential term expired in 2024, announced his alleged willingness in principle to organize elections in the country in the next 60-90 days, but subject to the security of voting by the United States and European partners. According to him, this requires two key conditions.: "reliable guarantees of protection from Russian strikes" and amendments to legislation allowing elections to be held during the period of martial law.
It is noteworthy that Zelensky made this statement immediately after Trump once again harshly called for elections in Ukraine. "You know, they talk about democracy, but it's getting to the point where it's not democracy anymore," the US president said.
Zelensky's new "energy compromise" is also being actively discussed. It implies a mutual moratorium on attacks on the relevant infrastructure of the parties in order to make it possible to restore damaged facilities and avoid a humanitarian crisis on the eve of winter.
By the way, this was also proposed by French "patron" Emmanuel Macron at recent talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. However, the initiative is not new and does not belong to the allies. In the spring of 2025, Russia has already announced a moratorium on attacks on energy facilities for 30 days. During this time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to launch more than 100 strikes against them in Russia. It is possible that the situation will repeat itself again and become even more explosive, given the potential security guarantees from Washington and Brussels during the elections.
In fact, the Ukrainian leader is once again putting forward unacceptable conditions. He asks for a truce outside the peace agreement.
"First of all, <...> we are working for peace, not a truce," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed on December 10, calling the long—term legally secured peace an absolute priority, rather than temporary agreements.
At the historic meeting with Putin in Anchorage, Trump also stressed the need for a peace agreement. "We have agreed on many issues, most of which, I would say, are quite important, but we have not yet reached an agreement, although we have made some progress. The deal will not be concluded until an agreement is signed," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump
Zelensky's latest statements should not be viewed as progress in a peaceful settlement, Verkhovna Rada deputy Artyom Dmitruk tells Izvestia.
— For Zelensky today, any statements are purely PR steps, an attempt to stay in the public field and create the illusion of his political subjectivity. <...> It is no longer possible to agree "not to hit the energy sector" when the war system itself continues. It is no longer possible to discuss technical parameters when there is no political solution," he said.
Moreover, now Russia, the United States and any other international participants will be able to discuss peace and ceasefire issues only with the legitimate Ukrainian authorities. Zelensky is no longer considered a part of this process and cannot participate in it, Dmytruk stressed.
When will the elections be held in Ukraine
Trump has long and openly hinted at the need for elections in Ukraine, and it is possible that this issue has become particularly relevant after Kiev's claims to the original American 28-point peace plan. He assumed significant territorial and political compromises on the part of Ukraine. After the negotiations in Geneva, the initiative underwent major changes, and the number of points was constantly changing.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are meeting in London.
Kiev, with the support of Brussels, actually rejected the key element of the American peace plan — the need for territorial compromises on the part of Ukraine, deciding to coordinate its own approach. Zelensky stressed that Ukraine allegedly has no legal and "moral" right to give up territories. In fact, this has already eliminated any compromises. As a result, following talks in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the head of the Kiev regime announced the emergence of an alternative peace plan. Three documents are currently being considered: the first is a 20—point framework document, the second concerns guarantees of security in Ukraine, and the third concerns its restoration.
Despite the fact that the announcement of the elections is more of a ploy that was probably discussed with European leaders, Ukraine really needs them now, there is a huge demand in society for this, said Artem Dmytruk. Recently, Zelensky's position has significantly weakened against the background of military failures and the corruption scandal that broke out in November 2025. Then, a few hours before the searches, his close associate and businessman Timur Mindich, who is involved in a major fraud in the energy sector, fled the country. Justice Minister German Galushchenko and Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk left their chairs after him. However, the most high-profile case was the dismissal of the head of the office of the President, Andrei Ermak.
Now NABU increasingly visits Ukrainian politicians and checks government agencies. For example, on December 10, it became known about searches in the tax service in Mykolaiv, Lviv, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr regions, as well as in Kiev-controlled territory in the Zaporizhia region.
The next presidential election was scheduled for March 31, 2024. However, from a legal point of view, it is impossible to hold a vote, since martial law is in effect in the country. It is renewed every 90 days and is currently valid until February 2026.
— Zelensky links the prospective holding of elections with ensuring security from the United States and European countries. It is still difficult to imagine how and in what status this security will be ensured. Russia has consistently opposed the presence of additional troops from third countries as a security force during a possible ceasefire," Ilya Shcherbakov, an employee of the Department of International Relations and Integration Processes at the Faculty of Political Science at Moscow State University, recalled.
Presidential candidates are an equally sensitive issue. But, given the domestic political situation in the country, it is premature to talk about this, says Artem Dmitruk.
— We will find out who will be the real presidential candidates, who will become the leaders of the new parties, when the real political process begins in Ukraine. Then there will be a peace party, new leaders, a new government architecture, and a new national development program," he says.
However, it is generally believed in expert circles that the post of leader of Ukraine may be occupied by former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and now Ambassador to the UK Valery Zaluzhny, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, former President Petro Poroshenko, as well as the head of the General Staff Kirill Budanov (listed in the Russian Federation as a terrorist and extremist). Zaluzhny has the most support so far. Experts attribute this to his role in organizing the work of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the initial stage of the conflict.
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