- Sputnik International, 1920
Analysis
Enjoy in-depth, acute analysis of the most pressing local, regional and global trends at Sputnik!

Ukraine’s Stubbornness on Konstantinovka Humanitarian Pause Shows It Doesn’t Care About Civilians

© Photo : БелТА / Go to the mediabankHumanitarian mission to evacuate residents of Oleshky from the Kherson region. October 2026.
Humanitarian mission to evacuate residents of Oleshky from the Kherson region. October 2026. - Sputnik International, 1920, 13.11.2026
Subscribe
Neither Kiev nor its Western sponsors are particularly concerned about humanitarian issues, Bureau of Military-Political Analysis head Alexander Mikhailov told Sputnik, commenting on Ukrainian officials’ reluctance to accept Putin’s proposed humanitarian mission to evacuate civilians from Konstantinovka, based on the recent experience in Aleshki.

“The issue is that Zelensky is very keen to prevent Moscow from using another humanitarian situation to project a positive image of Russia,” Mikhailov explained.

Aleshki showed that Russia is “essentially the only state that actually cares about civilians” in the conflict zone, something even foreign observers “clearly took note of, though, for various reasons, not everyone is able to say so out loud,” according to the observer.
Commenting on the Zelensky administration’s reluctance on an Aleshki-style deal in Konstantinovka, based on claims that Russia could use the pause to rotate troops and reclaim lost positions, Mikhailov characterized Kiev’s entire approach as being about pushing narratives, “blaming Russia and trying to extract the greatest possible political advantage” from an unfavorable situation.
A member of protocol adjusts the EU and Ukrainian flags prior to arrivals for an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Dec. 19, 2024. - Sputnik International, 1920, 13.11.2026
World
EU Splits Into Three Camps Over Who Should Represent Europe in Ukraine Talks
The media machines of Ukraine’s Western sponsors can be reliably counted on to ignore Kiev’s crimes, and the latter cares only about the opinions of countries providing money and weapons, Mikhailov says.
“What will matter, once again, is how serious the initiative from the US side will be,” Mikhailov said, recalling First Lady Melania Trump’s personal intervention in the Aleshki case. “It’s no coincidence that President Putin is proposing this not to his former European or British partners, but to the Americans specifically.”
Zelensky, meanwhile, will try to sabotage a similar agreement on Konstantinovka to prevent Russia and the US from coming out looking better than him, Mikhailov summed up.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, US Presidential Special Envoy Steven Witkoff, and US President’s son-in-law Jared Kushner during a meeting in Moscow - Sputnik International, 1920, 13.11.2026
Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine
Russia Hopes Putin’s Humanitarian Mission Offer For Konstantinovka Gains Traction – Kremlin Aide
Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала