07 November 2022, Monday, 17:56 920

NATO And EU Discussing Possibility Of Negotiations With Russia After Kherson Liberation By Ukraine

Редактор: Tetiana Herasimova

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union are discussing the possibility of negotiations with Russia after the liberation of Kherson by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This is stated in the material of the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

According to the latest analyses, which are distributed in NATO offices, the clash in the Kherson Region is gaining strategic importance not only from a military point of view, but also from a political and diplomatic point of view, because the defeat of the Russian army at one of the most important gates to the Sea of Azov and Crimea can mean a real opportunity to start the first real negotiations with Moscow.

"In relations between the leaders of the Atlantic Alliance and the EU interlocutors, in fact, the assumption is that Russian troops are now under pressure, they are not able to successfully respond to the Ukrainian offensive. Their response focuses on the defense and destruction of infrastructure: energy supply, water supply, bridges, roads; building a triple trench line and using natural barriers such as the Dnieper River. The goal is to slow down the advance of the Kyiv troops. Kherson is not any city: crucial to the sea and important for the control of water resources and river transport. To return it would mean forever changing the direction of the conflict," the publication writes.

That is why the U.S. - through Brussels - sends a message, which is also an invitation for the Ukrainian authorities: when Kherson is returned, then you can start negotiations, and negotiations from a position of strength, not weakness.

It is noted that the White House for the first time began to allow such a path, but without Kherson, such a path is impossible.

In addition, there are two fundamental aspects on which the U.S. administration emphasizes in daily negotiations with NATO allies.

The first concerns Russia's threat of tactical nuclear bombs.

While this is considered a form of deterrence that is not currently in effect, it is still a risk to be avoided.

Also because in such a case, not only will there almost inevitably be a large-scale reaction with conventional weapons, but it will become difficult to contain the nervousness of some allies, such as Poland, which now represents the EU partner closest to Washington militarily (some reaction schemes involve the use of Warsaw troops).

The second aspect concerns relations with China.

It is noted that with the loss of Kherson, the crisis of the former Red Army would be obvious.

The publication emphasizes that at the moment for the United States, Putin's complete defeat will have worse consequences: the transfer of control over Russia to China.

"Therefore, it is better to have a hostile leader, beaten, but independent from Beijing," the publication writes.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov on Monday said that the NASAMS and Aspide anti-aircraft missile systems arrived in Ukraine.