THE KREMLIN ORDERED AN OFFENSIVE

Russia orders its troops to resume and extend its offensive throughout Ukraine, after taking the negotiation as a failure due to Ukraine's position.

The Kremlin justifies the new push for Kiev's refusal to hold negotiations, but the Ukrainians say that Moscow is lying and that it led "Ukraine to a dead end before".

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Putin Steps Up the Offensive Across the Country

Russia decided tonight to increase the pressure in its invasion of Ukraine, ordering all its units to "accelerate the offensive in all directions."

Both the Ministry of Defense, which gave this order, and the Kremlin, assured that the Russian forces made a "pause" in their operations to try to start a process of negotiations with the Kiev authorities.

Russia assures that this decision was taken "after the Ukrainian side rejected the negotiation process."

Hours before the meeting, Vladimir Putin “had ordered a halt to the Russian offensive”, pending a response from Kiev on a possible negotiation process.

?WE WANTED AN AGREEMENT SAYS RUSSIA

?From the Russian government they assured that a negotiation agreement with Ukraine was ready.

Putin told Xi Jinping on February 28 that "Russia was ready to close a deal with Ukraine at all possible levels."

However, the desire for dialogue was left behind 24 hours later. The Kremlin said that "the Ukrainian side essentially rejected the talks, so today the advance of Russian troops has resumed, according to the plan of the operation."

?Ukrainian Stance

?According to Kiev, false is the news that they have refused to sit down to agree. And he accused the Russians of wanting to push potential deals "to a dead end before they start."

"I must refute the accusations that we have refused to negotiate. Ukraine has been and remains ready to talk about a ceasefire and peace," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

?According to the Kremlin, Kiev proposed Warsaw as an alternative venue to continue negotiations, but then "something broke communication", Ukraine denied this. And he affirmed that consultations were underway on the place and time of a possible second dialogue with Russia, to which he has always been open.

"The comments that we allegedly refuse to negotiate are just part of their tactics. They are trying to lead the negotiations to a dead end even before they start," said the Office of the Ukrainian Presidency, Mikhailo Podoliak.

Podoliak also assured that the "Russians are lying" when they say that they gave the order to stop the operations. “It is denied by reality itself, which the whole world saw this morning and tonight. The fighting was fierce, at maximum intensity in the attempt of the Russian troops to enter Kiev."

?“President Zelensky does not accept any unacceptable conditions or ultimatums for Ukraine.?Just full-fledged negotiations" he assured.

Ukrainian Truce

On March 1 before the Russian troops were to advance, Zelensky had said that he was willing to discuss with Russia a "status of neutrality" for Ukraine "if it was guaranteed security as part of the former Soviet republic."

Making it clear that, "Ukraine is ready to negotiate a neutral status while the Russians enter Kiev” said the Office of the Ukrainian President.

Breaking Point

Russian leaders were upset after Ukraine asked to join NATO, it is not known whether before or after having the "Prypiat Meeting".

It was there that the supposed contacts were broken, the mobilizations began to make declarations.

To this, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that "Given the circumstances, Russia will only negotiate when Ukraine lays down its arms."

Later, Putin himself asked the citizens of Ukraine to flee from Kiev, because it was "a final income".

Ukraine called for "common sense" to negotiate.?"They know what our negotiating opinion and position is. The negotiations must lead to a fair solution in the interests of the people and the state of Ukraine."

Russian Stance

?For its part, from the Kremlin; "They excuse themselves by saying that with their resistance the Ukrainians have led us to a dead end, it was an unrealistic ambition."

?Trigger

"In the Kremlin, Ukraine's double discourse of offering neutrality for being part of the former Soviet republic, while at the same time holding talks and asking to be accepted by NATO, bothered"

Belarusian Opinion

?From Belarus, they admit that the positions of the negotiations failed to stop the armed conflict that Russia started in Ukraine. "Because of Ukraine's double stance."

Conclusions

The Belarusian government encourages to think how to avoid a war and further slaughter of irretrievable losses. For the moment, this is a conflict, we must stop the conflict.

According to Belarus "Ukrainian position did not help stop this war."

It is only clear that here economic sanctions are not enough and NATO and US troops are needed or immediately negotiate a neutrality of Ukraine, so that no more innocents die.

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Author: Diego Balverde Senior Economist at International Monetary Fund

Fernando Graciano Rossi Research Analyst External?