Even though the forecast is vague and does not contain any concrete dates, there's a good chance it will come to fruition, according to Veselov.
"There are quite a few chances that the situation will develop in a positive way. It's most likely that the situation will move in the direction of the Ukrainian conflict being frozen," Veselov said.
At the same time, he warned that the possibility of the Ukrainian authorities engaging in unexpected or inappropriate activity may finally lead to uncertainty.
According to Veselov, Friedman is right in saying that Europe will be glad to see the restoration of ties between Russia and Ukraine.
"European business in recent years was widely represented in Russia, but now the projects have been scrapped. Everyone would like to return to the large Russian market and develop these projects," Veselov said.
Earlier, Friedman expressed confidence that Russia "will agree to a settlement on Ukraine, whether formal or informal."
"American allies bordering Russia will fear a compromise with Russia on Ukraine could be a preface to a Russian-dominated Ukraine. However, Germany will be delighted to have the additional fear of a confrontation to its east eliminated," Fiedman said.
Kiev, the US and many European countries have repeatedly blamed Moscow for backing the supporters of eastern Ukraine's Donbass region — accusations Russia vehemently rejects.
