Ukraine frequently sends out negotiation signals, and Russia’s response is cold.

　　[Sui Xin, Chen Kang, Liu Yupeng, correspondent of Global Times in Russia] While Ukraine, the United States, Europe and other western countries cheered and celebrated the "great victory" of the Ukrainian army in Hellson, it was surprising that senior Ukrainian and American officials and the media frequently mentioned "negotiations with Russia" in the past two days. Even Ukrainian President Zelensky, who wrote "Never Negotiate" into the presidential decree, suddenly changed his tune a few days ago, saying that the international community should "force Russia to conduct real peace talks". However, the Russian side believes that all kinds of information about the negotiations sent by Uzbekistan are full of contradictions, and it does not believe this. At present, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has been going on for nearly nine months, and the two sides are stuck in a stalemate on the battlefield, and the war is showing a long-term trend. Western countries such as the United States and Europe are also caught in the quagmire of energy and inflation crisis brought about by war. The National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) quoted a "Western official who understands military operations" as saying: "In winter, everything will slow down. We hope to see this happen to the possibility of (Russia-Ukraine) negotiations. "

　　Ukraine frequently releases negotiation signals.

　　According to the Associated Press, US Secretary of State Blinken said in a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on the 12th that Ukraine would decide the time and content of the negotiations with Russia. Blinken also said that the United States has made a firm commitment to help Ukraine mitigate the impact of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s key infrastructure as winter approaches.

　　Reuters said that at the press conference during the ASEAN Summit, Kuleba said that if Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov asked for talks, the Ukrainian side would consider it. However, the Russian Business Consulting Daily said that later that day, Kuleba claimed that the Russian Foreign Minister did not propose a meeting with him. "I don’t see any signs that Moscow is sincerely preparing for negotiations, and I doubt whether it is necessary to sit at the table and take a beautiful photo."

　　Ukraine and the United States have recently made various statements about whether Russia and Ukraine will reopen negotiations. Ala Hamija, chairman of the parliamentary group of the People’s Public Servant Party, who was the head of the Ukrainian delegation in the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, said on the 12th that Ukraine may resume negotiations with Russia as early as the second half of 2023. Ukrainian President Zelensky also said a few days ago that the international community should "force Russia to conduct real peace talks". He also put forward several conditions for the negotiations: restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity, compensating all the losses caused by the war, and punishing every war criminal … … The Associated Press said that Zelensky’s preconditions for negotiations were not feasible for Moscow, and it was hard to see how he would push the negotiations forward. However, this change in wording also reflects his attitude towards the peace talks.

　　NBC said that with the stalemate in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, it is impossible for both Ukraine and Russia to fully realize their goals, so this provides an opportunity to re-negotiate in the interim period of the conflict. However, the report said that considering that there are still a large number of Russian troops deployed in Ukraine, the United States does not want to create an atmosphere of "the West is pushing Ukraine to negotiate."

　　Russia: The Ukrainian conditions are absurd.

　　Kosachev, vice chairman of the Russian Federation Council (the upper house of parliament), said on the 12th that Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials deliberately put forward absurd and unacceptable preconditions for negotiations. He said: "Zelensky’s recent statement is essentially a refusal to negotiate; Secondly, he tried to cover up the obvious fact that Ukraine’s position (whether to negotiate or not) was not decided by Kiev, but by Washington. "

　　The "Russia Today" website said on the 12th that Ukraine has been sending contradictory signals about whether to hold talks with Russia. According to the report, Kuleba said so much, but he did not clearly indicate whether Kiev would accept if Russia really made a request for negotiations.

　　Another report on the website said that Washington and Kiev consciously put forward the negotiation conditions that Russia could not accept. Russian political scholar Bajiuk said that the United States privately pushed Ukraine to release the wind of negotiations, which showed that Washington lacked confidence in defeating Russia. Washington openly or secretly sent a signal to Kiev to ease the escalation of the conflict. Europe, in particular, is worried about the deterioration of the situation, and their arsenals and financial reserves are running out. The United States is also caught in the quagmire of energy and inflation crisis. In order to save face, it is proposed to let Ukraine negotiate with Russia.

　　Russian air strikes again

　　For the Russian and Ukrainian military, what is not available on the battlefield is hard to get at the negotiating table. A few days ago, Russian troops abandoned part of Hellson area west of Dnieper River and retreated to the east coast for defense. This is considered by many as a victory for Ukraine and an embarrassment for Russia. However, most international media, including western media, believe that this victory cannot fundamentally change the situation of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

　　Russian satellite news network said on the 13th that Kiev and 11 other regions in Ukraine were attacked by Russian air again that day. According to the report, starting from October 10th, the Russian army used long-range high-precision weapons to attack infrastructure targets such as energy in all parts of Ukraine. Since then, air raid alarms have sounded every day in all parts of Ukraine.

　　Zelensky issued a video speech on the 12th warning not to get carried away by his victory in Hellson. He said: "There is a fierce battle in Donbass. In the Donetsk region, it is simply hell now. " Kiev City Councillor Vitlenko said on the 13th that Kiev is facing a severe situation, and people can leave Kiev if they have better conditions for winter in other places.

　　Medvedev, vice chairman of the Russian Federal Security Council, posted on social media on the 12th that Russia is fighting the whole West alone. "Russia is recovering its territory since ancient times, not the other way around. This recovery will continue. " The day before, Medvedev said after inspecting the military manufacturing department of Kurgan Machinery Factory that "it is incomprehensible that some people are hysterical and too panicked about the situation".

　　The New York Times of the United States said that there were differences at the top of the US government on whether to end the Russian-Ukrainian conflict through diplomatic channels. According to the report, Mark Millie, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Army, urged negotiations, while other senior White House officials believed that it was too early to negotiate. At a recent internal meeting, Millie said that Russian troops withdrew from Hellson to build a more defensive front. He quoted the example of World War I as saying that such a war would not change the situation of both sides, but would cause millions of meaningless casualties.

　　Another report in the newspaper said that wars usually last for many years. The United States has fought in Afghanistan for 20 years and in Iraq for many years. The report regrets that perhaps the peace talks will only start when both sides are exhausted or one side is watching the defeat.