Recently, Ukraine's Zelensky announced that he would restart the peace talks mission in mid-January, which marked a noticeable change in his attitude. Previously, he had insisted on not participating in the negotiations, and this shift means that the Ukrainian side hopes to resolve the dispute with Russia through dialogue. However, the Ukrainian side has not yet made public the specific conditions for negotiations, which also brings certain uncertainty to the future negotiation process.
At this stage, the Russian army has successfully captured Maryinka, an important town in Ukraine, which is an important strategic turning point on the eastern front of Ukraine. Russia has temporarily gained a certain advantage, while the Ukrainian army is defending in several directions. This battle of Maryinka is undoubtedly a blow to Ukraine, and it is also a further reminder that the Ukrainian side should be cautious about Russia's military operations.
In addition, Ukraine has been qualified to negotiate accession to the European Union, which is one of the goals that the Ukrainian side has been pursuing for many years. The increase in contacts between Ukraine and the EU shows the desire of the Ukrainian side for cooperation and integration with Western countries. The qualification for the negotiation is also the result of the indirect promotion of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Ukraine hopes to receive more economic and political support to counter Russian pressure by joining the European Union.
At the annual press conference held on the 14th, Putin was asked "what advice he would give to his young self 20 years ago", and he said, "First of all, I will warn myself not to be too gullible in the relationship with our so-called partners." Among them, "partners" are considered to refer to Western countries. Putin believes that he trusted Washington and its allies too much during his first ** term, and this trust was called "naïve" by him.
Putin's remarks are quite meaningful. When he first took office, he was called "close to the West" and wanted to use gentle means to manage relations with the United States. However, as time passed, Western countries began to advance NATO's "annexation policy", and some of Russia's neighbors joined NATO one after another. Under the propaganda of Western countries, a wave of "Russophobia" has emerged in Eastern Europe. At this time, Russia began to gradually realize the true intentions of the West.
Another issue is the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Even before the outbreak of the conflict, the United States and the European Union had instigated anti-Russian forces in Ukraine to come to power in order to carry out so-called reforms. However, in the preparatory stage before the outbreak of the conflict, Putin still believed in the promises of the West and even accepted the Minsk agreements signed by Europe. This agreement has provided Ukraine with sufficient time to arm and prepare, which has led to a significant increase in Ukraine's military strength after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Relations between Russia and NATO are now on the brink of war, and tensions continue to escalate. All this is the result of Putin's excessive trust in the West. According to Russian media reports, Putin once asked NATO to join, but the United States ruthlessly rejected Russia. This fully shows the attitude of Western countries towards Russia.
Russia has indulged too much in the past few years with anti-Russian forces in Europe, including economically, politically, etc. To a certain extent, this has caused the situation to spiral out of control. Some commentators believe that the expansion of NATO, the deployment of anti-missile systems in Europe, and the promotion of color revolutions and the Russia-Ukraine conflict were all planned by the West long ago. It is impossible for Russia not to be aware of it at all, but it is naïve on the part of Russia to trust too much in the "spirit of contract" that the West professes.
The changes in the situation in Ukraine and Putin's statements at the press conference have attracted widespread attention. The Ukrainian side has changed its attitude and has been qualified to negotiate accession to the European Union, which shows Ukraine's expectations for cooperation and integration with Western countries. In his past experience, Putin has realized the consequences of excessive trust in the West. He warned himself 20 years ago that he was no longer too gullible about the relationship with the so-called partner.
This historical reflection tells us that trust in international relations needs to be treated with caution. As an independent country, we should keep a sober mind, judge the situation, and not blindly rely on and trust external forces. On the contrary, we should make the protection of our own interests our top priority, while actively promoting peace and cooperation. It is only by upholding our principles and treating ourselves as equals with other countries that we will be able to maintain an independent, stable and respectable position in international affairs. Historical experience is a valuable asset, and we should draw lessons from it, constantly improve our foreign and security strategies, and make positive contributions to the country's development and prosperity.