‘Deeply immoral’ Anglo-Americans sabotaged Ukraine peace – ex-Swiss ambassador

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Veteran Swiss diplomat Jean-Daniel Ruch has alleged that the US/UK “immorally” prevented Ukraine and Russia from sealing a truce back in April 2022, in the hope of dealing a blow to Moscow.

The former official, who at the time served as Swiss ambassador to Türkiye, was in Türkiye  when peace talks were taking place.

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In Istanbul, Ukraine and Russia preliminarily agreed to a draft truce, under which Kiev would have renounced its NATO membership aspirations, declared neutrality, and limited the size of its armed forces in exchange for international security guarantees.

However, Ukrainian negotiators abruptly pulled out, with Moscow later claiming that then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had urged the Ukrainian leadership not to sign any accord and to “just continue fighting.”

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While David Arakhamia, the Zelensky-allied MP, who led the Ukrainian delegation, confirmed this in November 2023, Johnson still insists that the allegation is an “absolute steaming, stinking lie.”

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In an interview with the French-speaking Anti These media outlet on Sunday, Ruch recounted how the “West pulled the plug on the negotiations, which were on course to produce a ceasefire.”

According to the diplomat, it was clear already in April 2022 that “if the war continued… the dead would be counted at least in tens of thousands, more probably in hundreds of thousands.”

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Nevertheless, the “Americans and their British allies” intervened in the Istanbul peace talks and scuttled a ceasefire that “was within reach,” insisting on weakening Russia further instead, Ruch claimed.

The former ambassador described the move as “deeply immoral,” suggesting that Kiev will not be offered terms as favorable as the ones proposed in 2022 in Türkiye.

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Speaking on Johnson’s role in those events, the former ambassador alleged, the former British leader “was in [Istanbul] on duty for the Americans” as he “doesn’t make this kind of decisions all by himself.”

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly expressed readiness to engage in dialogue with Kiev based on the draft agreement prepared in Istanbul in the spring of 2022, plus recognition of the “new territorial realities” that have taken shape since.

According to the Russian leader, “the document did not come into force, only because the Ukrainians were ordered not to do this.

The elites in the US and some European countries felt the desire to seek Russia’s strategic defeat.”

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Zelensky is ‘Illegitimate’ and this is a problem for peace negotiations  

Putin questioned the point of negotiating with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, labeling him an “illegitimate leader.”

He said that Kiev would need to hold new presidential elections, because the term of the Western-backed leader has expired.

Zelensky’s leadership lacks legal credibility in Russia’s eyes, according to Putin.   

“If the first person himself is illegitimate, then everything else also loses its legitimacy in terms of executive authorities and law enforcement agencies,” he explained. “And everything they do, by following his orders, they know full well that they are accomplices in this illegal activity.”  

“If someone runs for election [and] gains legitimacy, we will talk to anyone, including Zelensky,” Putin added.   

The 2022 Istanbul offer is still on the table  

Putin revisited the Istanbul format of peace talks held in 2022, saying that Kiev had initially agreed to the terms before backing out under Western pressure.

He singled out former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for allegedly sabotaging the negotiations.  

“We reached a deal in Istanbul, and the Ukrainians even initialed the document,”Putin said. “But then Mr. Johnson flew in with his impressive hairstyle and told them to fight to the last Ukrainian.”  

Putin’s comments suggest that Moscow is still open to resuming talks under the same conditions proposed in Istanbul – though no specific terms were outlined.