The Russian Foreign Minister said that he would respond to the US letter with new questions. At the same time, Russia confirmed that it was ready to send political advisers again to the Normandy quartet meeting in two weeks in Berlin. Ukrainian political analysts believe that Russia is now trying to bring the situation to the negotiating table.
Political analyst Oleksiy Golobutskiy told Frontnews that Lavrov's reaction and Russia's willingness to work in the Normandy Quartet indicates that Ukraine has made some progress on the diplomatic front.
"Russia has a difficult situation - in light of the sanctions that both the U.S. and other NATO members have approved. And the military support given to Ukraine has led to the fact that Russia is now looking for a way out of the situation. Now it will take the opportunity to impose its negotiating positions again in the Normandy format," Alexei Golobutsky tells Frontnews.
"Russia, of course, has not backtracked. It has simply lost the initiative," says Oleg Sahakyan.
As Oleg Sahakyan told Frontnews, Russia is still trying to make up for the plans it made for Ukraine.
"As of today, Western countries have their own political problems. Russia counted on having a window of opportunity to realize its boldest goals. But it is like cards - it has overplayed its cards. Nevertheless, she continues to resist," Sahakyan says.
Political scientist Yevgen Magda does not believe that Russia has given up sharply because it has made too much effort, and there has been too much pathos in the statements of its politicians.
"Therefore, Lavrov's statement should be seen as a tactical pause in the current situation. He is maneuvering to buy time and create a situation in which Russia will have room to maneuver. It is simply that arms supplies from Britain and the U.S. have strengthened the Ukrainian army and made the price of Russian aggression much higher than it was before. And it still, I think, keeps the Kremlin from making very rash decisions," Yevgen Magda noted in an interview with Frontnews.
Besides, as Magda pointed out, Russia is not putting everything it has exclusively on military means to achieve its goals.
"There is another important point.I believe that Russia's main bet is still not to invade Ukraine, but to undermine it from within and turn it into a failed state. And to create a state that will be controlled by Russia, which will be under its direct influence. I think that Russia is interested in the West forcing Ukraine to comply with the Minsk agreements. And in this way, it can become a kind of "patron of Ukraine" with the blessing of the West. But this scenario will not be accepted at all by the absolute majority of the Ukrainian population", - Yevgen Magda is sure.