- Russia’s battle in Ukraine has lasted longer than President Vladimir Putin anticipated.
- Putin has thought-about a cease-fire because the early weeks of Russia’s invasion, NYT reported.
- He renewed that curiosity however solely underneath the situation that Russia may preserve seized territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin privately stated he is open to peace talks with Ukraine a number of occasions because the early weeks of the invasion, The New York Instances reported. However some Western officers instructed the Instances that they continue to be skeptical.
One of many earliest situations got here weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, which was rapidly seen as a botched navy marketing campaign as Ukrainian resistance proved to be extra resilient than anticipated, the Instances reported. However talks of a cease-fire fell by means of after Russia’s brutal acts towards civilians and troopers in Ukraine, in response to the report.
Within the fall of 2022, Putin explored peace talks once more after Russian forces retreated from Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv area in September, US officers instructed the Instances. Nonetheless, prime US officers stated it was too quickly for talks, and the cease-fire was underneath the situation that Russia may preserve the practically 20% of Ukrainian territory that has been occupied.
Extra lately, Putin has proven renewed curiosity in a cease-fire because the battle approaches its two-year mark, and important progress on the entrance line — on both aspect — stays to be seen.
Two former senior Russian officers near the Kremlin, together with US and worldwide officers who’ve obtained the message about Putin’s curiosity in peace talks, instructed the Instances that the Russian chief has signaled that curiosity since not less than September with the identical situations outlined final 12 months within the fall.
“He actually is prepared to cease on the present positions,” one of many former Russian officers instructed the Instances. “He isn’t prepared to retreat one meter.”
US officers additionally instructed the newspaper that the armistice would preserve Ukraine as a sovereign nation, together with Kyiv as its capital, whereas Russia maintains management of the occupied territory.
But it surely’s unclear if Ukraine would settle for a cease-fire underneath such situations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly vowed to reclaim all territory seized by Russia, and prime US officers instructed the Instances that they do not see any influential Ukrainian politician agreeing to these phrases.
However US and Western officers stay doubtful.
“They by no means honored any agreements,” Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics instructed the Instances, “and so they have violated them instantly after they noticed it was handy.”
Putin’s quiet curiosity in peace talks by means of back-channel communications markedly opposes the message the Russian chief sends to the general public.
On December 14, in his first information convention that allowed attendance from Western media because the February invasion, Putin stated that Russia’s targets stay the identical and that there can be no cease-fire till they’re achieved.
“There will probably be peace after we will obtain our targets,” Putin stated, in response to The Related Press. “Victory will probably be ours.”
