John Herbst: Russia Has Made No Compromises in Peace Negotiations

John Herbst, who previously served as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, shared his insights regarding the peace negotiations between Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian Federation. In an interview with the publication NV, he pointed out that throughout the entire negotiation process, Russia has not taken any steps towards compromise or shown a willingness to make concessions.

Herbst emphasized that despite the lack of concessions from Moscow, the White House will continue to pressure the Ukrainian government to make compromises in favor of Russia. According to him, this trend will persist in the interactions between Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia in the coming months.

"It is difficult to say what the negotiations will look like by the end of this year," Herbst noted. "The simplest thing to say is that the current trend will continue, which means that the administration of President Donald Trump will try to push Ukraine to make greater compromises. Compromises that, in the administration's view, will force Russia to agree to peace."

The diplomat also expressed concern about the potential consequences if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agrees to proposals regarding the transfer of Donbas. He believes that in such a case, Russia may impose additional conditions, complicating the situation further.

"Ukraine has shown Trump its trump cards," Herbst remarked, commenting on the current state of negotiations and the role of the White House. He also stressed that up to this point, there has not been a single proposal from Russia that could be considered a genuine compromise.

"We have yet to see Russia offer even one real compromise. Secretly, they might have said that they would accept American security guarantees," Herbst explained. However, he noted that publicly, the Russians claim they will not accept any European troops on Ukrainian territory, even though their presence in the free economic zone of Donbas is part of the peace idea.

"So, I repeat, Russia has offered nothing, and the Trump administration has conducted negotiations in recent months as if Russia had offered something. And that is the problem," the former ambassador concluded. Herbst's comments highlight the complexity and ambiguity surrounding the peace negotiations, as well as the importance of caution in formulating compromises that may be proposed by Ukraine.