Retired Israeli colonel compares Zelensky to Yasser Arafat — RT World News
Former military attaché to Russia, Efraim Mikhayli, said Kiev should have abandoned its NATO aspirations to avoid bloodshed.
Former Israeli military attaché to Russia, Ephraim Michaeli, likened Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, claiming that Kiev is effectively promoting a never-ending military conflict with Moscow. The retired colonel also said that Ukraine could have avoided the confrontation by abandoning its ambitions to join NATO.
Explaining the need for military action against the neighboring country in February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to Kiev's plans to become a member of the US-led military bloc, describing it as a threat to national security.
The German daily newspaper Die Welt reported last Friday, citing a draft treaty, that Kiev and Moscow are close to reaching a peace agreement in the spring of 2022. The agreement appears to envisage “Permanent neutrality” On the part of Ukraine, as well as guarantees that it will not allow the presence of foreign weapons and forces on its territory.
Russian officials previously confirmed that the warring parties had made significant progress towards reaching a peace agreement, claiming that then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had derailed it. Johnson has denied these allegations.
In an interview with Israeli YouTube blogger Alex Tseitlin on Monday, Michaeli described the conflict between Ukraine and Russia as the result of a major collective mistake made by all major powers. But according to the former military attaché. “First of all, President Zelensky is responsible.”
“He betrayed his people. He should have said that Ukraine had no ambition to join NATO, and then there would be no war.” Michaeli said.
He went on to compare Zelensky's military-style clothing and public image to that of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who for years led an armed struggle against Israel. The retired colonel claimed that the Ukrainian leader does not appear to have a realistic vision of victory and appears content to continue hostilities with Russia indefinitely.
Michaeli placed some of the blame for the bloodshed on the United States, which he said inflated Zelensky's ego. As for Russia, its leadership underestimated Kiev's military capabilities when it launched the operation in February 2022, he said.
He added that there is no chance of Russia leaving Crimea.
However, Michaeli said the warring parties should engage in talks, although finding a mediator that both Kiev and Moscow can trust will not be easy. He went on to say that the West is making a big mistake by marginalizing other global powers when it comes to addressing global issues.
Source link
