Putin may make hard-line remarks on the front, but wants negotiations on the back.
Willingness to ceasefire on condition of handing over currently occupied territory to Russia
Judgment as ‘right time’ due to deadlock on the front lines, weakening support, and international situation
The New York Times reported on the 23rd (local time) that Russian President Vladimir Putin is quietly continuing negotiations for a ceasefire in the Ukraine war.
Citing two officials close to the Russian Kremlin, the media reported that President Putin is leaving open the possibility of negotiations through quiet diplomatic channels and has expressed this intention through multiple diplomatic channels.
He explained that although President Putin is making strong statements regarding the war in Ukraine on the outside, behind the scenes he is making a decision to reduce the potential threat to himself by ending the long-running war.
The media pointed out that President Putin is obsessed with the historical mission of reclaiming the Russian people’s land, but is also showing great interest in enabling the people to lead a normal life. As a result, he is trying to highlight his readiness to quietly end the war.
A former senior Russian official said, “President Putin is really willing to stop (the war) at its current location,” but added, “He has no intention of retreating even 1 meter.”
Last fall, a senior Russian official told sources that Ukraine was ready to negotiate a ceasefire and that Ukraine was insisting on going to war.
The media previously pointed out that President Putin dispatched Russian officials for negotiations last fall. At the time, when Ukraine drove out Russian troops from the northeastern front, President Putin added that he was willing to stop the war in return for the territory it currently occupied.
The Russian side believes that the appropriate new moment for concluding negotiations has arrived due to various factors such as the deadlocked war situation, the aftermath of Ukraine’s offensive, weakening Western support for Ukraine, and the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas. It is reported that
However, a former Russian official analyzed that President Putin’s thoughts may change again if the situation becomes favorable to Russia.
On the 19th, President Putin said, “Russia is ready to talk about the future of Ukraine with Ukraine, the United States, and Europe if desired,” and added, “Russia will protect its national interests.”
He said, “Russia will continue its so-called ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine, and all attempts to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia have been thwarted.” He added, “Russia will not allow Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military alliance within 10 years. “It cannot be accepted even within 20 years,” he said.
Russian Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also reaffirmed President Putin’s remarks to the media. Spokesperson Peskov revealed on the 20th, “Ukraine withdrew from negotiations with Russia last year at Britain’s insistence.”
Ukraine legally prohibits direct peace negotiations with President Putin. Instead, President Zelensky is seeking a solution to the war in Ukraine based on his 10-point “Peace Formula,” which includes the preservation and restoration of his country’s territory.
Ukraine claims that peace is only possible if troops are completely withdrawn from all Russian-occupied territories.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.