ROME, December 24. /TASS/. Vladimir Zelensky's 20-point plan is a "step back" from the original American draft on the Ukrainian settlement, Stefano Vernole, deputy president at the Center of Studies on Eurasia and Mediterranean, said in an interview with TASS.
In his opinion, Kiev's proposal doesn't take into account what he called Russia's obvious advantages on the battlefield and doesn't guarantee the protection of the rights of the Russian-speaking population and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. "Maintaining the number of [Ukrainian] troops at 800,000 does not mean demilitarization, and security guarantees based on the model of Article 5 of the NATO Charter hardly something Russia can accept. This plan is a step back and is unlikely to be accepted by Moscow," the expert said.
He said that after almost four years of the special military operation, the territories controlled by Kiev had decreased by 20%, so the terms put forward at the Istanbul talks shortly after the start of the special operation were no longer valid.
"The plan of [US President Donald] Trump's approached some of Russia's conditions, although it was not complete and did not take into account the important fact of strengthening Russia's influence in the global world order, which implied the end of US hegemony in the world," he added. Also, in his opinion, a return to conflict between NATO and Russia was not ruled out in the event of a change in the Washington administration. The expert believes that signing an "interim agreement" on Ukraine may lead to resumed fighting, giving NATO time to reorganize. In his opinion, the West has not abandoned its "original goals, which were set when Russia was forced to start its own war, namely, the split of the country and regime change."
Ukraine has submitted the 20-point peace plan, which, according to Kiev, should consolidate the country's security, attract international assistance and establish long-term guarantees from NATO and the EU. The document provides for both political and economic measures, as well as concrete steps to rebuild the country, but retains controversial issues, including the status of troops in Donbass and territorial disputes with Russia.