Russian advances in the special military operation zone could reshape the diplomatic track on Ukraine, Aleksey Zhuravlev, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, told NEWS.ru.

Zhuravlev argued that further settlement should not be discussed with Vladimir Zelensky, saying the Ukrainian leader does not make independent decisions. In his view, any substantive dialogue would be possible mainly with representatives of major global powers, including the United States or China.

He also described Zelensky as a British proxy and said that, in his opinion, only the elimination of the Ukrainian president could change the situation in some way.

The lawmaker stressed that Russia is seeking not just peace talks, but the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.

Zhuravlev named continued battlefield success by Russian forces as a factor that could push Ukraine and the West toward negotiations. He said this could include a possible advance to the Dnieper, after which Kiev’s Western allies might conclude that there is no longer any point in holding on to Ukraine.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he did not expect a sudden shift in the position of European countries on a Ukrainian settlement. He noted that miracles are possible, but said he had little faith that the European Union would change its approach in this case.