Arseniy Yatsenyuk, head of the Kyiv Security Forum and former Prime Minister of Ukraine, stated in an interview with Euronews in Brussels that the Kremlin is not interested in genuine peace talks, and that Russia will use any negotiation process to stall for time, pressure the West, and strengthen its own position.

Commenting on discussions within the European Union regarding a potential representative for direct contacts with Moscow, Yatsenyuk emphasised that Vladimir Putin views diplomacy as a tool for influence and manipulation.

“Please, do not underestimate this war criminal. He is no fool. He is a KGB agent,” Yatsenyuk stated.

According to him, the Russian president assesses every interlocutor through the prism of strength and weakness. “He always senses whether you are weak or strong. That’s why he tests every person he meets,” the former prime minister said.

He believes that the Kremlin agrees to diplomatic contacts only when it allows them to buy time or weaken Western unity. “Putin is neither seeking nor ready for any negotiations at this stage. If he does agree to a negotiator, it will be for one reason only— to outmanoeuvre us, buy time, and make life difficult for us,” he noted.

According to Yatsenyuk, the issue is not about the specific name of a potential EU representative, but about Europe’s ability to demonstrate strength and political unity.

“The only language Putin understands is the language of strength and power,” he emphasised.

The former prime minister also stated that the Russian president is not ready to accept any compromises today. “Putin is not ready to accept anyone. But he is ready to accept the capitulation of Ukraine, and in fact, of Europe. And we must realise this,” Yatsenyuk said.

He linked the escalation of Russian threats against EU and NATO countries to Moscow’s setbacks on the front lines and internal problems within the Russian economy.

“Putin is losing the war. He expected to capture Ukraine back in 2014. Then he launched a full-scale war and was convinced he would capture Kyiv in three days,” Yatsenyuk recalled.

According to him, the Kremlin is increasingly trying to intimidate European societies to weaken support for Ukraine. “Russia poses a huge threat to the security of the European Union. They want to intimidate the people of the EU and force Europeans to turn their backs on Ukrainians.”

Separately, Yatsenyuk drew attention to China’s role, calling Beijing a strategic partner of Moscow and an accomplice to Russian aggression. “China has provided the lifeblood for Putin’s Russia — both financially and through the supply of dual-use materials,” he stated.

At the same time, the KSF Chairman suggested that it is precisely China’s influence that could potentially create the conditions for genuine negotiations in the future.

He also criticised the West’s previous diplomatic attempts to reach an agreement with the Kremlin, stating that Moscow had used them for manipulation and attempts to divide the unity of Ukraine’s allies.

In conclusion, Arseniy Yatsenyuk emphasized that Europe’s security directly depends on the outcome of Russia’s war against Ukraine: “Europeans must realize: you can only be safe in one case — if we, Ukrainians, win this war.”