‘Zelensky Formula’ for Possible Russia-Ukraine Peace Nothing But ‘Political Fantasy’

The so-called “Zelensky formula” for peace talks is no more than a “political fantasy” that cannot be used as “a constructive starting point” for possible talks between Russia and Ukraine, Mateusz Piskorski, a political observer and columnist for the Myśl Polska (Polish Thought) newspaper, told Sputnik.

"There is nothing to discuss here. As I see it, someone perhaps wants to use such a tough radical position pertaining to the ‘Zelensky formula’ in potential [Moscow-Kiev] negotiations," Piskorski said.

He added that evidently, the West is still dominated by those political circles that attempt to continue the conflict in Ukraine for some time. “Those circles are seeking to convince other players, including from the countries of the Global South, that they can generally build on the ‘Zelensky formula’," per Piskorski.

The columnist claimed that such attempts are unrealistic given the fact that “most countries of the Global South take the opposite position from Zelensky on key issues, including the Middle East conflict.

Paolo Raffone, a strategic analyst and director of the Brussels-based CIPI Foundation, in turn, argued in an interview with Sputnik that although the West backs “the Zelensky formula”, such support is hypocritical and “mostly directed towards the domestic audiences that would revolt learning that two years of support to the [NATO proxy] war [with Russia] would end in a defeat.”

"There is no doubt that to settle Ukraine, but also for all the other relevant geopolitical global issues, it would be inconsistent to exclude Russia from the equation. Public rhetoric must go on. However, there are many signals that behind-the-scenes arrangements may unfold," Raffone added.

The two’s remarks came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with Sputnik and the Rossiya 24 broadcaster, in which he specifically slammed “the Zelensky formula” as a "figment of sick imagination." According to Lavrov, the West is trying to trick other countries into accepting "the formula," which he said was discussed at a recent secret meeting attended by representatives of Western states.

Serbia and Anti-Russian Sanctions

In the interview, the top Russian diplomat also mentioned the collective West’s attempts to throw Serbia into a dilemma: join anti-Russian sanctions or face a coup, a so-called 'color revolution'.

Piskorski noted in this vein that Serbia, which has historically always been considered an ally of Russia, "remains one of those few countries in continental Europe that did not support anti-Russian sanctions."

"The existence of such a country outside the European Union allows the West to make certain attempts to carry out color revolutions. Let me remind you that the very concept of color revolutions has its roots in Serbia. It was this territory where the West first used certain technologies back in the late 1990s when then-Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic was ousted," Piskorski pointed out.

Raffone, in turn, gave kudos to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who he said “has evolved over time as a pragmatic leader capable of defending Serbian identity and national interests.”

The analyst also recalled that the presence in Belgrade of Western-financed institutes specialized in the “revolution from beneath” is “well known since the Milosevic time.”

“That experience has been updated in March 2023’s 'Fostering a Fourth Democratic Wave: A playbook for countering the authoritarian threat' published by the Atlantic Council and the International Center for Non-Violent Conflicts (ICNC). Therefore, the EU is playing as ‘good pupil’, somehow trying to destabilize Serbia in the framework of the US neocon anti-Russia policies,” Raffone added.

End of Dollar Hegemony

Both analysts also commented on Lavrov’s remarks that "everyone is tired of the US dollar," which he said is turning into a means of regime change and interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

Piskorski said in this regard that there is enough evidence that the US authorities "in a certain way tried to influence internal events in various countries through their American monetary policy."

“The issue of trust in the US currency is of paramount importance here in connection with well-known events related, for example, to the freezing of accounts of the Russian National Bank. I think that the level of confidence in the dollar has fallen sharply, because now any country that retains some part of its foreign exchange reserves in dollars or cooperates with the American financial system is afraid of these assets being stolen by the leadership of the Federal Reserve for various reasons - financial, economic, and political ones,” he asserted.

Piskorski suggested that the diminishing trust in the dollar could lead to “certain geopolitical consequences, namely, the acceleration of the formation of the multipolar world that has repeatedly been mentioned by Russia, China, and other countries.”

He was echoed by Raffone, who argued that "there is no doubt that the dollar has been weaponized to exert maximum pressure on those governments that do not align with US strategic and geopolitical priorities." The expert warned that “substituting the US dollar at a global level is a long process," stressing that if the process of de-dollarization aims “to have an alternative monetary capacity to counter the weaponized dollar, indeed it is a necessary step for the survival of many nations.”

Russian Special Op and Israel's Gaza Incursion

Additionally, both analysts gave their thoughts on the part of Lavrov’s interview in which he underlined that Israel's final goal of eliminating the Palestinian militant group Hamas amid the Jewish state’s ongoing Gaza incursion looks like the Russian special operation’s purpose of the demilitarization of Ukraine. In light of this, Lavrov added, he was surprised about the previous Israeli government’s negative reaction to Moscow’s special operation.

Piskorski emphasized that the West’s condemnation of Russia demilitarizing Ukraine and support of Israel continuing its Gaza offensive is a glaring example of double standards. According to him, it’s safe to say that Israeli authorities “are now, in fact, conducting ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip,” which he said is not in place in the Russian special military operation zone.

Raffone, for his part, claimed that while the Russian special operation is “geopolitical,” Israel’s war on the Palestinians and Hamas is “eminently geostrategic.”

He also referred to “the fundamental undisclosed goal of Israel in reshaping the geopolitical and geostrategic order in the region," pointing to the fact that the Russian special operation is “much more limited in scope and goals.” Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Moscow “is not going to give up its goals” in the special operation.

‘Zelensky Formula’ for Possible Russia-Ukraine Peace Nothing But ‘Political Fantasy’ - Analysts

Serbia and Anti-Russian Sanctions

End of Dollar Hegemony

Russian Special Op and Israel's Gaza Incursion