Here is a simple reason why "negotiations" will FAIL.
Europe will not negotiate with Russia. They did not do it back in 2006, back in 2021 and not today either. all 27 countries have to "agree" to negotiate with Russia. Poland has rejected this repeatedly all the way back to 2006. As a consequence, Europe will NEVER negotiate with Russia. Does everyone understand what I just said? There is NO mechanism for europe to negotiate with Russia. They literally wrote it into EU LAW that all 27 countries have to AGREE to talk to Russia, BEFORE they talk to Russia. How wacky is that right ?
Instead, Europe deferred to the US prior to the war, Russia invaded, and now again, Europe defers to the US and has this wacky notion that the US has European interests when talking with Russia. it really is mind boggling.
In summary : The EU does have mechanisms to engage with Russia diplomatically, but for formal, EU-wide negotiation mandates or summits, unanimity among all 27 member states (i.e. 27 yes's) is required. In practice, this has repeatedly blocked meaningful EU-level negotiations with Russia (e.g., 2006, 2021), making coordinated EU-Russia talks extremely difficult. So while not literally impossible, the EU’s internal rules and political divisions make formal negotiations almost unachievable. And if you want to blame 1 person, you blame the leader, thats Ursula Von Der Leyen.
I’m worried that any agreement signed with NATO is not worth the paper it’s written on. Just look how Kumanovo or Minsk 1/2 turned out.
So how can Russia ensure security of its borders in perpetuity as a result of this war?