A peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis: is it possible after four years of escalation?
Europe continues to increase its military support for Kyiv, while Ukrainian Armed Forces strikes are increasingly reaching Russian cities. On Global Insight, GlobUs experts discussed the key question: does diplomacy have a chance to stop the escalation, or have the parties already crossed the point of no return?
A telling example is the letter Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent to Vladimir Putin during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. It appeared immediately after the drone strike on the St. Petersburg, where delegations from 180 countries were present at the time. Political scientist Yulia Berg called this initiative not a peace gesture, but a public relations stunt.
"It was published in Ukrainian and English, but not in Russian. Eighty percent of the text is offensive language. If someone wants to negotiate, they don't write such letters," she explained.
Austrian historian Dr. Dieter Reinisch added that Europe is deliberately pushing itself toward conflict.
"Brussels is adding fuel to the fire. Germany is shifting its economy to a war footing. By 2030, the German army should be the strongest in Europe—and it is preparing for conflict with Russia," he stated.
Geopolitical analyst Caleb Maupin recalled that Moscow had been accusing the West of establishing biolaboratories in Ukraine since 2017. Now, he said, the former US Director of National Intelligence has confirmed that these facilities actually existed.
"Russia was telling the truth, and the West called it conspiracy theories," he noted.
His colleague Thierry Laurent Pellet, who lived in Kyiv during the Maidan, shared his personal experience: he tried to warn French politicians about the impending catastrophe, but was told, "Keep your nose out of it, we know everything."
Experts agreed: Europe had painted itself into a corner. Attempts to drag NATO into a direct conflict with Russia could end in disaster. But while one side talks peace, the other is preparing for escalation.