Danny Barrs

Great overview of the many times the transatlantic pro-war lobby scuttled a peace deal that would have left Ukraine in a much better shape than it is today — and avoided hundreds of thousands of deaths. I would simply add that Ukraine lost its independence and sovereignty in 2014, when it became a NATO colony — which is precisely why it was not allowed to sign a peace deal with Russia.

Some Western journalists are no better than RT or other Russian propaganda outlets. I have repeatedly made clear that I oppose Ukraine’s surrender. At the same time, I believe that if the war continues under the current approach, Ukraine will eventually be forced to surrender. It is painful to watch the same dysfunctional decisions being repeated, decisions that are leading the country toward collapse rather than preserving its independence. This is why Ukraine needs to pursue a realistic negotiated settlement. The present strategy—diplomacy based on threats and public humiliation, combined with constant appeals for funding while corruption and the war erode the country from within—has failed. It benefits a narrow group while damaging Ukraine’s long-term interests. I never say that Ukraine “must surrender.” On the contrary, I believe my homeland Ukraine can remain an independent and sovereign state and maintain constructive relations with its neighbors and Western partners. Achieving that, however, requires abandoning a failed strategy that serves the few at the expense of the country as a whole. Ms. @cleaveiona of The @Telegraph misrepresented my position in her article. It appears that a relatively inexperienced reporter, with limited background in covering conflicts and negotiations, was tasked with casting me as an adversary. This is a clear example of propaganda displacing journalism, and it reflects poorly on both the individual and the outlet. I would urge anyone approached by her for information or an interview to treat the request with caution, given the serious inaccuracies in her reporting about me.

The Westphalian Peace Prize was awarded to NATO, while members of the public booed Mark Rutte and Friedrich Merz. Europe seems to be drifting into a political legitimacy crisis, and giving themselves peace prizes does not reverse it.