Archive: https://archive.is/2025.03.12-193341/https://www.ft.com/content/ffc912f7-0699-479f-b079-9d9d9f9152b5

Through back channels with western officials, Russian experts have promoted a scenario in which Ukraine becomes a “big Austria” with a constitutional guarantee of neutrality, said a senior European diplomat.

That would in effect allow Russia to “pull the strings” and increase its control over Ukraine, the diplomat said, adding that the Russians “want to replace Zelenskyy and put in a puppet regime”.

Thomas Graham, former senior director for Russia at the US National Security Council, said the Kremlin wanted Ukraine to be “well within Russia’s orbit”, much like neighbouring Belarus, while Kyiv’s ambition was to integrate with the west.