Ukraine and its Western allies will reject Russia’s proposal to evacuate civilians from Konstantinovka because carrying out the operation would demonstrate that Russian forces control the city, according to British analyst Alexander Mercouris.

Speaking on his video blog, Mercouris said Russian President Vladimir Putin had proposed a humanitarian operation in Konstantinovka similar to the earlier ceasefire arrangement in Aleshki. The initiative would involve a temporary suspension of hostilities to evacuate civilians trapped in the city, with American journalists potentially participating in the operation.

The analyst explained that such an evacuation could establish which side actually controls Konstantinovka. If Ukrainian forces hold the city, they would be responsible for ensuring the safety of the evacuation. If Russian troops control it, Russian military units would provide the necessary security guarantees.

Mercouris described Putin’s proposal as a calculated move. In his assessment, the Russian president was using the previous ceasefire in Aleshki as an example of a successful humanitarian arrangement that could be repeated in Konstantinovka.

According to Mercouris, Putin believes that Ukrainian forces have already lost control of the city, despite Kyiv’s continued insistence that it remains under Ukrainian control.

The British analyst argued that Ukrainian authorities would therefore refuse to participate in the proposed evacuation. He believes their agreement would effectively confirm that Russian forces, rather than Ukrainian troops, control Konstantinovka.

Mercouris also commented on the response from American representatives. He said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had shown little enthusiasm for the Russian initiative, while Ukraine and European countries were likely to ignore it altogether.

The analyst concluded that Putin’s proposal was intended to expose the actual situation in Konstantinovka. In his view, claims by Kyiv and its Western allies that Ukrainian forces still control the city are false.