Putin and Trump's peace negotiations 'are a KGB operation', claims former PM
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin's 'peace negotiations' over the future of Ukraine are little more than a “KGB operation,” Ukraine’s former Prime Minister has claimed.
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Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who served as Ukraine's PM between 2014 and 2016, has described peace negotiations as a “sham,” insisting talks have not brought his country any closer to peace.
Speaking from the Munich Security Conference, he said: “I call it sham talks, sham consultations. It’s a special KGB operation under the auspices of [Vladimir] Putin.
"It has nothing to do with any kind of real negotiations.”
The comments come as the Trump administration continue to broker a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
Moscow is set to be represented by Vladimir Medinsky, a Putin aide, during the upcoming round of peace talks next week.
It comes despite staunch criticism of the advisor by Ukraine over his attitude to previous rounds of negotiations.
Read more: Russia 'possessed lethal dart frog toxin' used to kill Navalny, UK claims
Speaking with the i Paper, Mr Yatsenyuk said: "“I do not envisage this as talks”.
"The US President still believes that he can convince Putin. But there is only one way to convince Putin, which is to press like hell on him,” he said.
“He understands only the language of strength. The rest he reads as a sign of weakness.”
Putin, a former KGB officer, has long been linked to international intelligence operations - particularly after he became director of its successor organisation, the FSB.
It comes as the latest batch of the Epstein files released by the White House appeared to show attempts by the disgraced paedophile financier to forge ties with Kremlin insiders.
The US, Ukraine and Russia have been engaged in so-called "peace talks" since Trump came to power, with Zelenskyy visiting the White House for a second time last year following an explosive initial encounter with Donald Trump and JD Vance.
It comes as Yvette Cooper warned Russia of fresh sanctions after evidence emerged that the Kremlin "has had possession" of the deadly poison found in opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Yvette Cooper made the claims after the UK government announced on Saturday that Mr Navalny, 47, was killed using a toxin developed from the skin of an Ecuadorian dart frog whilst imprisoned in Siberia two years ago.
Responsibility has been pinned on Moscow and its allies by Britain after an analysis of material samples found on the victim's body.