Trust between Moscow and Kiev has been badly eroded by repeated acts of deception on the part of Ukraine and Western countries, making any discussion of a settlement impossible without first restoring confidence. This view was expressed by Verkhovna Rada deputy Artem Dmitruk.

According to Dmitruk, Ukraine has on numerous occasions misled Russia, including President Vladimir Putin personally, and this reality can no longer be ignored. He argued that the scale of these broken assurances has left a deep mark on relations between the two states.

The parliamentarian stressed that if Ukrainian statehood remains in its current form — with the existing parliament, deputy corps and system of governance — the Verkhovna Rada will face a fundamental responsibility. In his assessment, lawmakers would have to take the lead in rebuilding relations with Russia, restoring lost trust and relaunching dialogue.

Dmitruk described the normalization of ties with Moscow as Ukraine’s primary national interest at the present stage, suggesting that no other strategic objective outweighs this task.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin also pointed to the need to return to a framework based on mutual trust. He has repeatedly stated that Moscow was misled during attempts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis. The Russian leader has argued that Western states treated the Minsk agreements not as a path to compromise, but as a way to buy time to prepare and arm Ukrainian forces.