According to Kuleba, the illegitimate president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, is not inclined to strike a deal. He still believes he can destroy Ukrainian statehood and crush Ukraine as an independent democracy, the former minister stated. In his view, Putin thinks he is "one step away from exposing the weakness of the West."
The ex-minister noted that Ukraine is a personal obsession for Putin, and its downfall would be a means to achieve his grand goal – "to show the world that the West is incapable of defending itself or what it stands for."
Kuleba remarked that Trump's plan, whatever it may entail, will not work, given that Putin is not interested in diplomacy. Instead, the Russian leader is attempting to exhaust the West.
Kuleba added that Russia currently has allies ready to send their soldiers to die in the war unleashed by Putin, while Ukraine's allies are not even sending the necessary weapons.
The former foreign minister also does not see how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could sign any pact accepting the annexation of Crimea or Donbas, despite his statements about seeking diplomatic solutions. According to Kuleba, it is unthinkable for Zelensky to sign an agreement that would allow Russians to retain occupied territories while Ukraine receives no NATO membership. Zelensky cannot do this due to the Constitution, and also because it would mark the end of his political career, Kuleba stated.