ROME, April 5. /TASS/. NATO representatives are discussing the option of Kiev ceding territories to Russia in exchange for security guarantees and Ukraine's accession to the North Atlantic Alliance, Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper reported.
According to the publication, such a scenario is not voiced during official discussions, but it is being raised informally and is becoming more and more realistic, especially before the US presidential election. Experts see it as the most acceptable end-game for the conflict in Ukraine, it added. So far, it has not been considered at the political level, but it is being taken more and more seriously in connection with the potential defeat of US President Joe Biden in this November’s presidential election. US government circles also see it as a concrete "peacemaker" card in the hands of former President Donald Trump should he win, the newspaper said. According to it, Russia will be offered to take Crimea and all the territories conquered within the past two years, and then fix the borders and accept into NATO whatever will be left of Ukraine. This option, the newspaper pointed out, is similar to what happened after World War II with the division of Germany into East Germany, controlled by the USSR, and West Germany.
La Repubblica said that such a scenario would accelerate the provision of aid to Kiev, which is currently being blocked in the US Congress, especially given the real prospect of Trump's return to the White House. In fact, the softening of the position regarding the acceleration of Ukraine's accession to NATO is dictated by these very considerations.
At the same time, according to the newspaper, the factor of the November election is becoming a kind of "brake" on global decision-making. La Repubblica pointed out the prospect of negotiations with the Biden administration in the remaining months can hardly be called attractive for Moscow; in this situation, as well as taking into account Russia's offensive actions in the conflict zone, it would be more profitable to wait for the results of the US election.
In February, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is ready to work with any US president that the American people elect, but Biden is preferable because "he is a more experienced, predictable person; he is an old-school politician." At the same time, Trump called these words a compliment to himself, explaining that under a weak Biden administration, Russia would "get Ukraine.".