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Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate and defend the inhabitants of the Donbass region, where people have been suffering from a blockade and regular attacks by the Kiev regime's forces since 2014.

Western Military’s Presence in Ukraine ‘Open Secret,’ Russia's Envoy to UN Says

© Sputnik . Sergey Averin / Go to the mediabankRussian Airborne Forces soldier with a Verba man-portable surface-to-air missile (SAM)
Russian Airborne Forces soldier with a Verba man-portable surface-to-air missile (SAM)
 - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 16.03.2024
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UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik), Lenka White - Following a Paris-hosted conference on Ukraine in late February, French President Emmanuel Macron said Western leaders had discussed the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine and, although no consensus had been reached in this regard, nothing could be ruled out.
The Western military presence in Ukraine is an "open secret" that was already known before Poland's foreign minister spoke about NATO troops in the country, Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky told Sputnik.
“It's an open secret that Western military personnel are present in Ukraine. We know not only through the Polish foreign minister but other sources,” Polyansky said.
Polyansky pointed to the recent leak of a conversation between high-ranking German military officers as even more convincing evidence of NATO's presence in Ukraine.
“I think this is a much more loud revelation than the words of the Polish foreign minister,” he said.
On Friday, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that the presence of NATO forces in Ukraine "was not unthinkable," adding that he appreciated Macron's initiative on the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine.
French President. Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech as he inaugurates a Gendarmerie brigade Monday, Oct. 2, 2023 in Tonneins, southwestern France.  - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 08.03.2024
Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine
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Polyansky added that Volodymyr Zelensky and his clique are interested only in seeing Russia defeated and are not interested in having serious peace negotiations because Kiev is still under the illusion that it can win aided by the collective West.
"Zelensky and other representatives of his clique are not interested in serious and meaningful negotiations. All they are interested in is the capitulation of Russia. They still have some illusions that they can achieve military victory over Russia with the help of Western arms, they are interested in the supply of Western arms," Polyansky said.
According to Polyansky, when Kiev changes its rhetoric and declares readiness to consider other options for ending the conflict with Russia, this will mean that Ukraine no longer believes in its victory on the battlefield against Russia and is ready for negotiations.

"Tens of of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are paying for this illusion [of victory] with their lives and this is a very unfortunate situation. Zelensky banned himself from negotiations with the Russian government by enacting a relevant decree back in 2022. So, certainly, it is ridiculous to say that Ukraine is interested in any negotiations," Polyansky said.

Polyansky pointed out that Russia has repeatedly confirmed its readiness to negotiate with Ukraine on how to achieve its special military operation aims peacefully, but it must be a completely different track and format from what Ukraine is trying to impose on other countries, including Zelensky’s so-called peace formula.
Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Russian and Ukrainian delegations held several rounds of peace talks in the early days of the conflict, including in Turkey in March 2022.
Ukraine's former chief negotiator with Russia, David Arakhamia, said that then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson talked Kiev out of signing an agreement with Russia to end the conflict in the spring of 2022.
In October 2022, Zelensky signed a decree stating that Kiev could not hold peace talks as long as Russian President Vladimir Putin was in power.
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