LONDON, June 21. /TASS/. Politicians in the West are beginning to realize that the Kiev authorities will have to make compromises on territorial issues and NATO membership to end the conflict in Ukraine, The Spectator has reported citing a former high-ranking Western official who visits Kiev on a regular basis.
"Ceasefire along the line of control, plus security guarantees for Kiev short of full NATO membership. No formal ceding of territory. Ukraine becomes like Cyprus - an EU member which does not recognize that it’s been partitioned," the official said.
According to the publication, the Swiss conference has demonstrated that "international support for a forever war is waning and the time for ugly compromises is beginning." In particular, the magazine drew attention to the fears of European countries about a new wave of Ukrainian refugees if the conflict drags on. According to The Spectator's source in the German government, Berlin expects to receive up to 1 mln Ukrainian refugees in the coming winter due to damage to Ukrainian energy facilities.
The magazine added that the conference on Ukraine was a failure, as it demonstrated the unwillingness of countries of the global South to cut off relations with Russia. According to a former senior official from the Ukrainian president's office, Kiev "hoped the conference would mark a new benchmark of international support," but it actually "just showed how badly <…> [Ukrainians] have lost the support in the Global South."