Tadej Drmaz

Yuri Ushakov is an old-school diplomat. He spent a decade as Russia's ambassador in Washington and has been Putin's foreign policy aide since 2012. He chooses his words with care. Western media quote him as saying "we need to talk with Europe" and read it as Moscow reaching out to Europe. However, there is a catch. There is no "we" in the original. Here is what he actually said. He was asked why Washington can't simply dictate peace terms to Kyiv. Ushakov answered that after Anchorage it looked like Washington could. It didn't work, because Europe backs Kyiv. So it is necessary to talk "not only with Kyiv, but also with Europe." Any Russian speaker understands who this impersonal "it is necessary" is addressed to. Moscow is not talking to Kyiv right now. Washington is. And Washington's "talking" to Kyiv means pressure. Ushakov's message to Washington: you pressure Kyiv, now pressure Europe too, or you won't get Kyiv to accept the terms. He put it in an impersonal form so Washington doesn't feel it is taking orders from Moscow. That is how professional diplomats speak. So Russia's position stays exactly where it was. Moscow still wants Washington to force its terms on Kyiv, and now on Europe as well.