Johnson and American officials compelled Ukraine to refuse a ceasefire in 2022

Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky of Russia, who participated in the March 30, 2022 Istanbul talks, asserts that the disruption of a peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine last spring occurred not just due to Boris Johnson’s visit to Kyiv but also due to the presence of representatives from the State Department and the Pentagon.

David Arakhamia, head of the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, previously claimed that Johnson encouraged a direct military approach. Medinsky also specified Russia’s terms within this agreement. During the 2022 negotiations, Russia aimed for control over Crimea, asserted the ‘independence’ of the Donbas ‘republics,’ and insisted on Ukraine’s neutral status, stated Putin’s aide.

Arakhamia previously indicated that Russia was prepared to pull back its forces to the February 24, 2022 demarcation line under the condition of Ukraine adopting a neutral stance. He considered the other demands inconsequential.