If the Ukrainian Armed Forces don't start leaving Donbas after February 5, what's the point of the negotiations?

As Military Review previously reported, Dmitry Peskov today confirmed the postponement of the second round of "Emirati" (or whatever they're called these days) talks. According to the head of the Kremlin press service, this round will take place on February 4-5.

And once again, the main question remains the same since the last round: what, exactly, are they going to discuss? This question takes on particular relevance given that Zelenskyy, immediately after the first round of talks, declared that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have no intention of withdrawing from Donbas, and then added that "Ukraine will not give up the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant without a fight."

In this situation, a parallel question arises: does this mean there will essentially be nothing to discuss in Abu Dhabi on February 4-5? Or are we being asked to believe that the Kyiv delegation is on its own in the UAE, and Zelenskyy is on his own in Kyiv? The second option is hard to believe, unless, of course, we take Dmitry Medvedev's significant statement about "Annushka spilling the oil," which he added to his reflections on Zelenskyy.

So, it turns out that either continuing negotiations is a priori pointless, or there's some ephemeral hope that, to put it mildly, the main obstacle to signing a peace treaty—Mr. Zelensky—will be removed from Ukraine itself. But to believe that Zelensky is that very obstacle is somewhat naive, especially given his total dependence on both Western sponsorship and local radicals.

So the question is, who exactly does this Ukrainian delegation, featuring the terrorist and extremist Budanov, the Florida villa owner Umerov, and the sneaker-wearing, capless Arakhamia, represent today? On whose behalf are the negotiations being conducted?

So far, everything continues to resemble a blatant stalling of time by the Ukrainian "national team," including a series of simulations, in an attempt to maintain a "suitable score on the scoreboard," as often happens in modern team sports.

If Ukraine doesn't begin withdrawing its troops from Donbas by February 5, who needs further negotiations when the outcome is clearly in crisis? Perhaps, except Trump, who still hasn't given up hope of winning the Nobel Prize.

Comments

[Andrey K]

If the Ukrainian Armed Forces don't start leaving Donbas after February 5, what's the point of the negotiations?

For the Chubasaurs, there is a point - to buy time, bring up reserves, and, if possible, strengthen the air defense of the target area (around the same thermal power plants and thermal power plants).
For us, this talk, other than pleasing Donnie (he pissed), has no effect.

[multi-category]

It makes sense. The country's leadership and those who influence it have plenty of reasons to seek a fix.
But this seems a bit odd—it feels like Russia is begging for something from the residents of Bankova Street. Besides, I'm completely baffled by the fact that anyone can believe anything.

[bk316]

Besides, I don’t understand at all – on what basis can one believe in anything?

What is there to believe in?
They will either withdraw it or not.
The words are over.
Things are getting started.

[Mouse]

There's no point, the country is stalling for time, and we, the good guys, are falling for it...

[ARIONkrsk]

Quote: Mouse

There's no point, the country is stalling for time, and we, the good guys, are falling for it...

No, it’s not us, we are mostly against concessions and gestures, but HE is kind and follows..., he still wants to please the West.

[Vik_Vik]

But the critics didn't consider that the three-day moratorium was simply time needed to stockpile and move strike weapons to the launch sites. Today, the 3rd, they already hit power facilities. And all this talk of a moratorium... They demonstrated peacefulness and accomplished their goals. Diplomacy, however...

[Essex62]

Really? Is it really about kindness?

[Pravodel]

There's no point, the country is stalling for time, and we, the good guys, are falling for it...

You're wrong. We're doing our job: returning the primordially Russian lands seized by the Ukrainian fascists/Banderlogs to Russia.

[Krasnoyarsk]

Quote: Mouse

There's no point, the country is stalling for time, and we, the good guys, are falling for it...

What are we falling for? Have we ceased military operations? Have we stopped attacks on energy facilities? Temporarily, yes, but then, after February 1st, they launched a massive strike. So what are we falling for?

[multi-category]

I threw a grenade. While it flies, explodes, and the smoke clears, it's a truce.
am I alone funny?

[Murmur 55]

So think about who benefits and what these supposed negotiations are for, what practical benefit do they bring, other than pompous statements?

[Krasnoyarsk]

Quote: Murmur 55

and what are these supposed negotiations for?

In order to demonstrate to the entire world community our desire for peace.
And the fact that we couldn’t reach an agreement is not our fault – the Outskirts are not capable of reaching an agreement.

[carpenter]

Except perhaps Trump, who still hasn’t lost hope of winning the Nobel Prize.

Oh, the Nobel Prize will fly past Trump like a basin over a bathhouse!

[tralflot1832]

Let's wait until February 4-5. Witkoff is in Israel. The possibility that the Ukrainian delegation and Zelensky are each on their own shouldn't be discounted. And Dmitry Anatolyevich gave hope yesterday at Vargonzo (TASS, Pegov, Reuters) regarding Kharkiv and Odessa. He spoke in very diplomatic language. Both the Americans and we are maintaining silence on the negotiations. Zelensky is the only one who's carrying the torch. But that's his problem.

[Gavrilo Princip]

Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev again warned of a retaliatory strike "against decision-making centers," mentioning the Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

[sgrabik]

We need to reach Kyiv and overthrow this criminal Nazi Bandera regime, this is the only way and no other way, and let the Poles and Hungarians take Galicia and deal with the Bandera supporters themselves.

[multi-category]

Quote: sgrabik

Let the Poles and Hungarians take Galicia and deal with the Banderites themselves.

And I will give Antarctica to the penguins.

[multi-category]

Quote: sgrabik

We need to get to Kyiv and throw this

Even in the Marseillaise, "we will destroy" was followed inseparably by "we will build our new world"
And all you can think about is destruction. So maybe operating an excavator with a hydraulic hammer is your calling?

[sgrabik]

You're not reading carefully enough. I was writing about replacing Zelensky's Nazi regime, not about the destruction of Kyiv and Ukraine as such, and those are two completely different things.

[multi-category]

Quote: sgrabik

You're not reading carefully, I was writing about the change of the Nazi regime.

You wrote about a change to silence. This is destruction. I am paying close attention.
But you should get used to supplementing a proposal to change or destroy something with what should replace it, so that the slogan can be transformed into something constructive.
Actually, I had a very negative reaction to the start of the SVO because even with the most rosy successes and Kyiv in 3 minutes, the question of what to put in place did not go away!
A Gauleiter from the Moscow City Council? A Salvation Puppet Committee? Pseudo-democratic elections? Democratic elections with the reinstatement of those who were removed?
I still don't see anything adequate that can replace the current administration.
I'll also point out the joke that Zelenskyy made the biggest contribution to the success of the SVO; things could have turned out much worse. So why do you want to remove him? So that someone more capable can take over the war?
Or do you have the illusion that the necessary replacement will find itself?
My opinion is that starting a military-industrial complex without a ready-made, at least 25%-supported, alternative to the administration's policies would have been a huge mistake. Because the story immediately drags on for an unpredictable period. It's like gambling in a casino and betting on chips. Well, we're out of luck—now we're fighting until we drop? A Star Wars quote popped up here.

This is not the droid we are looking for.

[Andy_nsk]

Dmitry Anatolyevich

Dimman-iPhone? Is it worth quoting?

[Vovavvs]

A politician needs to know when to speak and when to remain silent. As for the Americans, don't say never. Especially in their name. How they "planted" yet another "goodwill gesture" that ours tried to shamefully hush up... They should have kept quiet about Kupyansk.

[Andrey Malashchenkov]

How are they going to stop the war? The EU idiots promised them a whopping 90 billion (for 2 years), and that clown (whom they've started calling the Grinch in Ukraine, by the way) asked Trump for another 800 billion (they won't give that much, of course, but they might give something). Until they split that money, they won't agree to any peace.

[eugen_caro]

so then they PROMISED that stupid people continued to die for the PROMISED perks...

[Revolver]

Quote: Andrey Malashchenkov

but they can give something

Only if you beat me up. And then catch up and hit me some more. And it hurts.

[multi-category]

The US won't give anything in the next year, maybe they'll transfer some small weapons.
Trump has his own plan, where all resources must be mobilized.

[sgrabik]

The main thing here is that the Ukrainian defenders don't run out before the Western money for embezzlement runs out.

[kromer]

Hmm... There is such a job: talking with degenerates.

[multi-category]

It's important not to become overly concerned here.

[silverwolf88]

The Sumerian delegation is a bunch of mindless idiots who just want to talk without any authority or other paraphernalia... just sent there to talk and nothing more... an overdue interviewer about the impossibility of any territorial concessions (the British position, by the way) and what's new...
And we reaffirm the original goals: DENAZIFICATION
And of course, Russia's security
Nikolaev, Odessa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Kyiv, Sumy, Poltava, this is all ours...
We are not saving anyone... let the dissenting contingent go wherever they want... we will work with the rest for decades

[torbas41]

There's no need to work for decades; the main thing is to properly organize educational and patriotic work in schools in the new territories. Children who attended 1st and 2nd grades under the Ukrainian government are now in 4th to 6th grades, and they barely remember anything about Ukraine, and in another five years they will have forgotten it completely.

[multi-category]

Quote: torbas41

to establish educational and patriotic work in schools in the new territories

Our history textbooks are full of distortions, omissions and outright lies.
Well, good luck trying to cultivate patriotism with such a basis.
Moreover, schools offer preparation services for the Unified State Exam. There's been no educational work or knowledge imparted there for a long time now. This is my personal opinion, and you may disagree.

[bk316]

This is my personal opinion, which you may not agree with.

You're talking nonsense because you're not in the know.
More precisely, there is no educational work, of course, because the state has officially abandoned ideology, and without it, it is unclear what to educate.
And they provide quite a lot of knowledge.
Just try to pass the Unified State Exam without knowledge, for example, in computer science.
You will understand everything at once.

[multi-category]

What does computer science have to do with it? The government couldn't care less what they teach there.
And the Unified State Exam, let's say, is indirectly involved; I'm not interested in the exam grade at all. It's about the content of the history course: what's included, how it's described, what conclusions are drawn. That's what matters. Our children have completely stopped seeking out information themselves, so brainwashing through the media and textbooks has become very significant. Everyone sees in Ukraine's example how historical events can be distorted. And what children see in textbooks is their starting point, because they have nothing else in their heads.
Regarding the rejection of ideology. That's not true. There is an ideology, but it's so vile that people are embarrassed to voice it. Just as the goals of the SVO are formally stated now, no one yet knows what they mean. And where the SVO should end is also unclear to no one. This is because, again, publicizing goals is humiliating. That is, the ideology exists, but as an unspoken fact, like the tale of the emperor with no clothes. And because of its wretchedness and inability to compete, ideology itself is banned. But returning to the subject of history—there, precisely, the emphasis and ideological preparation are clearly visible. For example, people are indoctrinated to understand the success of a caste society and the existence of a state in the context of unequal peripheral trade exchange, which, I remind you, was broken twice: under Peter the Great and under the USSR.
But trade inequality returned with the collapse of the USSR and the obvious consequences of social impoverishment. Schoolchildren are taught to think that this is NORMAL, that a system built for such conditions is NATURAL. But I disagree, and many who remember the USSR remember that it wasn't always like this.

[Essex62]

How many more years will it take to achieve all your dreams? And when were such goals officially announced by the towers? Besides denazification and demilitarization, when they organized the run to Kyiv at their godfather's request? We haven't heard anything for a long time.

[Junior Private]

It's stupid to expect agreements that won't be honored. We need to call Trump and the Englishwoman who's been messing things up for a long time. There's no other way.

[Murmur 55]

Junior Private Why do THEY need negotiations? What losses are London or Washington suffering in this conflict to be interested in ending it?

[Junior Private]

All negotiations have the same goal: to bargain. And then you can figure it out for yourself. My respects.

[flicker]

What losses does London or Washington suffer in this conflict to be interested in ending it?

Maintaining Ukrainian parasites is too expensive, but they don't want to give up the remaining territories of Donbas either - so they're dragging their feet until we get fed up and make concessions.

[sgrabik]

But we won't get tired of it and they won't get any concessions from us. We are slowly but surely moving forward and sooner or later all our lands will return under Russian jurisdiction.

[flicker]

But we won't get tired of it and they won't get any concessions from us.

This is the current situation. Iran could have collapsed (China supported it well), disintegrated, and the Caspian region of Iran (where Azerbaijanis predominate) would have been annexed by Azerbaijan, giving it a land corridor from Turkey to Central Asia. The latter would have immediately jumped on board. Plus, drones would have started flying in from Finland, and into Kaliningrad from Poland.
But this is a different scenario, in which we would be forced to conclude peace on the West’s terms (if, of course, they agreed).
Well, Iran held out.
The West is waiting, hoping to open a new front, primarily in Central Asia.

[multi-category]

Quote: flicker

But Iran could have collapsed (China supported it well), it could have fallen apart,

Well, that was a long way off. Any state can collapse very quickly under the weight of problems. Iran had a brief period of hysteria, but it was contained. Iran also weathered the showdown with Israel and the US with flying colors. It's a long way off, but if it doesn't adapt over time under this kind of pressure, it will.

[multi-category]

Ukraine is like a suitcase without a handle - it's hard to carry, but a shame to throw it away.

[multi-category]

NATO members find it very useful to have a naval base near Odessa, as they tried in Crimea before. They're also interested in cheap, hysterical mercenaries on the border, of which there are plenty in the currently disorganized Ukraine, but few in the Baltics. The Poles are currently actively building up their army, and it's a very serious force, but it's far more expensive than all the expenses during the Second World War.

[Boycott]

They're being given hope that our leader will move toward Trump. He agreed to a pause in the energy attacks, so why shouldn't his best friend press harder and negotiate something else? A step toward him is weakness, a punch in the face is strength. They're simple; they understand nothing else.

[Dedok]

Agreed to a pause in attacks on energy, pWhy shouldn't the best friend push harder?, and is there anything else we can't bargain for?

So they put pressure on: Musk, they say, is going to start verifying devices on the outskirts...
and Musk will only get involved in this at the request of that same comrade...

[rocket757]

So there will essentially be nothing to discuss in Abu Dhabi on February 4-5?

It's not surprising... the skakuas are jumping, the green-bobbies are making money, but there's no bloodshed... they don't need peace.

[guest]

Quote: rocket757

They don't need peace.

And we generally don’t need a world in which there is no Russia.

[rocket757]

Well, yes, everyone dreams of winning... but for us it's a tough question, only victory, only this way.

[acetophenone]

then who needs further negotiations when there is an obvious crisis of results?

To the negotiators.

[Mikhail Nasharashev]

The point is for Leopold the Cat to lick his dear friend Trump.

[guest]

There is some ephemeral hope that in Ukraine itself, to put it mildly, the main obstacle to signing a peace treaty will be removed – Mr. Zelensky.

Who has such hope? This was the worst that could happen; a fixed match would be against us.

[MrFox]

Everyone pretends to negotiate so as not to anger kind Donny. In reality, they chip in for beer every day and tell jokes.

[Vlad Gor]

"If the Ukrainian Armed Forces don't begin leaving Donbas after February 5, then what's the point of the negotiations?"
Why does Russia need to negotiate with the enemy? Russia, not the government.
In the Russian Federation, the government is foreign, many have already realized this.
If they sign a peace agreement, it will be a great victory. There are State Duma elections in 2026. Without a victory, United Russia could lose, and then the government will resort to force. What will happen next? Nothing good will come of signing a peace agreement. If they don't sign it, that will also be bad. There's no choice.

[Mint Gingerbread]

Negotiations are just that, but there's no need to ease up or stop the attacks. These people won't negotiate. There's a time limit, after which the outcome is achieved, regardless of whether the opponent has changed their mind. That time limit has long since expired.

[Million]

Sooner or later, tactical nuclear weapons will still be used.

[FoBoss_VM]

I agree, but not about Ukraine, but about Paris, London, Brussels and Berlin.

[yuliatreb]

If our political elite considers Zelensky illegitimate (I consider him terrorist number one), then what's the point of this show? It's simply to attract the attention of the average person, so they'll at least be distracted from the cesspool going on around them. Someone was saying from every corner of the internet that we don't negotiate with terrorists; what a shame that someone so quickly forgets their promises. There was also some talk about toilets.

[Samoyed]

Where are the tank/drone columns of Rosenbergs/Abramovichs serving Russia? Where is Putin's specific contribution from his salary? The rest would have followed suit in a heartbeat? But the generalized "Putin" in power is a mere trifle. As Faina Ranevskaya said: "He wanted to leave a mark on history, but instead left a spit on the pavement."

[flicker]

And again the main question remains the same as it was last time: what, exactly, are they going to discuss?

We are hoping for the "spirit of Anchorage" to make the geldings bend over backwards, but the geldings themselves want us to make concessions.
They're stalling for time, waiting for something. Who knows, maybe they were planning to break Iran by then, and then we'll be more likely to agree to Western terms.
I don't know, but it looks like it's time to put an end to this "spirit of Anchorage".

[Foggy Dew]

Let's look at the composition of the delegations... Do you even understand that Russia quite logically sent military personnel, not diplomats? They only have the authority to accept the garrison's surrender; they can't even theoretically sign any other documents?
Here we need to understand the full depth of our mockery of these funny cigarette butts.

[Essex62]

Who did you go to accept capitulation from, the mattresses? Not funny.

It's all banter for you, but the oligarchy is in trouble. It's time for them to get out of this costly mess. They don't find it funny.

[aszzz888]

that in Ukraine itself, to put it mildly, the main obstacle to signing a peace treaty has been removed – Mr. Zelensky.

While it will be fueled in Gayropa and America, it will float.
Seafarers know that geese, ducks, and... swim.

[snow mountain]

Quote: carpenter

Oh, the Nobel Prize will fly past Trump like a basin over a bathhouse!

This year, it's already flown by. And if things get worse with Iran, it'll be as far away from them as a bullet in the ear!

[sgr291158]

We've talked to them so much already, and it's all useless. Negotiations are a waste of time.

[Idle_piston]

[QuoteIf the Ukrainian Armed Forces don't start leaving Donbas after February 5, what's the point of the negotiations?] [/ Quote]
The point of the negotiations is that neither Russia nor Ukraine can win this war. While Russia's leadership understands this, Zelensky's gang believes that with Western assistance they can negotiate more tangible concessions from Russia.

[Pravodel]

What is the point of negotiations?

The point of negotiations is negotiations... The main thing here is that Russia constantly negotiates, and the bastards, including the Anglo-Saxons, cannot make claims that Russia is incapable of negotiating.
Historical reference.
Before the war, the USSR also constantly negotiated with France and England, but was never able to reach an agreement, since France and England were absolutely incapable of reaching an agreement.

[Essex62]

What's the point of jumping over this rake for decades? It was never possible to reach an agreement with them. Maybe I should give up this useless exercise?

[BMS]

The author is an idiot and wrote some nonsense. What kind of "delaying of time by the Ukrainian 'team'" is he talking about? Maybe something changed because of this delay, maybe a ceasefire was declared during the negotiations, or maybe our guys stopped hitting the Ukrainian power grid? And if not, and you don't have all the information, don't write nonsense for the sake of hype.

[VikPaS]

What's the point of even talking to them about anything? An ultimatum—and then we'll vacate all the territories. Our negotiators are working for Trump, to get him a Nobel Prize, that's all he (Trump) wants.
"but it looks like it's time to put an end to this 'spirit of Anchorage'."
And this really needs to be done.

[musorg]

So what's the point of negotiations? I think the only point for everyone is to stall for time until Kyiv raises the white flag! Then real negotiations will begin!

[Essex62]

Why should the West raise the white flag? Is their situation hopeless? Everything seems to be going according to plan: Russians are killing Russians and destroying their own infrastructure, which was so painstakingly restored after WWII.

[Ban Zai]

A simple question: would you retreat in their place? No, no. Any competent military leader, before planning a combat operation, always rotates the map showing the enemy's troop positions 180 degrees to assess the enemy's capabilities as well as their own threats. But the result is what it is; you can't reverse it.

[Alexander_K]

Negotiations make sense, but local commentators will immediately downvote me. And the hurray patriots will trash anyone who tries to explain this realpolitik and the complexity of the situation. For those trying to figure it out: Russia lacks the strength to make any sudden moves, has almost no allies, its elite and economy are tied to the West, and much more. At the same time, the West is mired in its own problems and contradictions. All our gestures of goodwill, negotiations, concessions, and even outright betrayal pursue one important goal: preventing Russophobic forces from uniting against Russia. Let them squabble among themselves and bargain for preferential treatment. It's better to be ignored and not truly perceived as a threat than to repeat Napoleon and Hitler. And our people are not what they used to be; we may not be able to fight back. So, for now, we're quietly subjugating Ukraine and preserving the country—let it continue. It's from our couch that we see ourselves as great, powerful, and technologically independent. But in reality, that's not entirely true. Even a simple blockade and full-scale sanctions, like those imposed on Cuba, for example, could prove fatal for us. Of course, we want everything and quickly, but while the US and its accomplices are distracted by China, the Houthis, Minnesota, Greenland, and the divvying up of money and influence, we shouldn't distract them or divert their attention. As sad as it may sound, NATO and its vassal countries are an economic and military giant. And we're not even friendly among ourselves; there's chaos in every sphere of life and every industry. Even the activities of the Fifth Column pale in comparison to the widespread shoddy work, amateurism, corruption, and other traditional shortcomings. We're not yet up to the task of competing with the West. First, we need to restore order in the country—at work, in our families, in our souls. And Ukraine will follow suit; it has nowhere to go.

[Roman Efremov]

They won't start. They're stalling for time; their main priority now is to hold out until spring, until the warmer weather. They've been dragging it out week after week under the guise of negotiations.

[Essex62]

The chatter in the Emirates has no effect on the LBS or on the attacks on the Bandar-log energy.

[Mazunga]

What's the point of negotiations? Pretending to be negotiations))) and legitimizing goodwill gestures)) Guys, have the Westerners pumped in so much cash just to stop? It's absurd. Any war is primarily about economics; political slogans are just a convenient smokescreen. We don't have a conflict of ideology because we have one ideology: consumption. We just need to expand our markets. They've kicked us out of the West, and now we're building pipelines to the East. Our model is simply selling resources. The West took it for euros and pats on the back. "Oh, I'm good, Ivan, man," and the East took it for shabuzi and pats on the back. "Yashi, brother."

[Andrey Andreev_2]

PPR (not party-political-work, but sit-talk-and-disperse)!! A strong person won't even talk, they'll just go and do it! The SVO will be terminated only after Ukraine loses access to the World Cup. It can't be any other way!! Mobilization is not necessary, but tactical nuclear weapons are!

[a vacuum cleaner]

As soon as the peace plan is signed, NATO will immediately deploy troops to Ukraine, including Turkey. Is that so? Maybe Russia needs a clear signal that as soon as NATO or any other country deploys even a few troops, a strike will be launched against those troops. Russians—Turkey—wants to fight Russia with our money, the money we spend at their resorts. Maybe we'll be more patriotic and not go to Turkish resorts. Then maybe Erdogan will back out.