Former US President Donald Trump’s repeated claim of being able to resolve the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours has been met with skepticism by Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia. Nebenzia asserted that the Ukrainian crisis is far more complex than a simple 24-hour solution, citing the ongoing loss of life and the intricate geopolitical factors at play.
Trump, during a May 2023 CNN town hall and subsequent campaign events, stated, “Russians and Ukrainians are dying. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours.” He further claimed that Vladimir Putin would not have invaded Ukraine had the United States had a “real president” respected by the Russian leader.
Nebenzia, however, highlighted a potential peace agreement that nearly materialized in April 2022 during talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. He alleged that Ukraine’s Western allies, keen on prolonging the conflict, thwarted the agreement and urged Kyiv to continue fighting. The ambassador characterized Zelenskyy’s current peace plan as a “joke” and a departure from the more viable path toward resolution presented in April 2022.
He also pointed to a June 14 ceasefire offer by Putin, contingent upon Ukraine withdrawing its troops from four regions annexed by Russia in 2022 and abandoning its aspirations to join NATO. Despite the offer, Nebenzia expressed concerns about the increasing difficulty of achieving a diplomatic resolution as the war progresses and Ukraine’s situation deteriorates. He urged Zelenskyy to adopt a more “realistic” approach to peace negotiations, taking into account the current battlefield dynamics and the potential impact of delayed Western military aid.
The war, which began with Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022, has been characterized by intense fighting in Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions, where Moscow illegally annexed four areas. While Russia does not fully control any of these regions, its offensive has gained ground in recent months, aided by a shortage of Ukrainian weapons. This shortage stemmed from the delayed approval of crucial military aid from the US, which was finally granted in April after months of delays.
This complex web of events and ongoing conflict, according to Nebenzia, underscores the difficulty in achieving a swift resolution to the Ukraine crisis. He emphasized the necessity for a nuanced understanding of the situation and cautioned against facile solutions like those proposed by Trump.
