Russian president’s new ultimatum comes as foreign envoys meet in Switzerland to discuss western-led peace plan
Vladimir Putin has demanded that Kyiv cede more land, withdraw troops deeper inside its own country, and drop its Nato bid in order for him to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Putin’s fresh ceasefire demands were issued as envoys from more than 90 countries, including Ukraine, convene in Switzerland this weekend to discuss a western-led peace plan. Russia is not invited to the conference and the president’s remarks on Friday were likely to have been timed as a spoiler to that summit.
Speaking with diplomats at the Russian foreign ministry, Putin publicly updated his terms for ending the war in Ukraine for the first time since he launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, when he demanded regime change in Kyiv and the country’s “demilitarisation”.
The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, said Putin was in “no position” to make demands on Ukraine and could end the war he had started “today if he chose to do that.”
Hi Ukraine, we understand you didn't want to immediately surrender your lands and rights. That's very difficult, we realize. To address your concerns, we're now offering an installment plan.
As far as I can tell, that's de rigeur for these now. It's largely the same on both sides in the other war too.
I think international pressure needs to be brought to bear. I can appreciate that the end of the war will likely require unpopular concessions. But I think humanitarian concerns as well as the need to halt the advance of authoritarian nationalism around the world requires an end to the two big wars.
If we can't find an end, the US should withdraw from both. Our role is prolonging them.
So if the same applies to Russia Putin is okay with a foreign country invading Russia based on lies, capturing territory, targeting and murdering civilians and kidnapping children, violating treaties, and they would accept a ceasefire with the invader keeping everything they currently hold to regroup for another assault? Get the fuck out of here
Though I fully agree with you, here is some food for thought:
If, IF, come November, trump gets elected, then that's it. He will remove all money from Ukraine, he'll give Putin free reign to invade Ukraine and he won't criticize Putin if he just streams on to the baltics and then poland too.
Get the fuxk out of here, indeed, but I fear that soon Europe will have to go to war with Russia
Guess the new part is he pinky swears they can keep the Western half of Ukraine. As long as they don't form alliances and agree to weaken the military protecting the Western half...
i demand russia to be renamed shitlands. and the russian sea shall be renamed to turdy waters.
and maybe a weapons and travel ban for 50 years is a nice gesture so china can learn a bit too.
The reality is that both sides are laying out unrealistic terms for surrender right now.... and that's fine. The start of a negotiation is always to start with a stated position and go from there. This war will end at the negotiation table... at least we hope it does becuase unconditional surrender won't come from Russia, but it could come from Ukraine.
The real question is have both sides suffered enough for a negotiated end to this war? Look, it sucks, but that's the truth of it. It would be good to see an end to the fighting and dying in Ukraine. Wars suck. The only side winning in this war is the US. They/we spend a pittance of money and watch Russia burn their future generation, military reputation, and global standing to the ground. That's the #2 political opponent the US has in the world, and it's acting as a great example for to show China (the #1) why it should behave itself over Taiwan. Win win!
But wars suck. It's easy to sit on the sidelines, but there a lots of people fighting and dying over there who have nothing to do with make the decisions for war. Yes Putin's demands are ridiculous, but so are Ukraine's. That's fine. Put them in a room and hopefully they can figure out way to end the killing that's in between the two.
Mainly 100% removal from Ukraine (not unreasonable, but also not going happen without Ukraine doing much better on offense) and a shit ton of reparations for all the damage done and people killed (this is never going to happen).
IMHO The most likely scenario is Russia keeps 50 to 80% on land they've already captured and Ukraine agrees not to join NATO and the war stops. Keep in mind much of the land that they're currently fighting over will be useless for a generation due to all the mines and shells shot into it. (Maybe "useless" is too strong, but it will take a lot of work to make it safe for living and farming.)
You realize that Nato is a defense alliance, dedicated to protecting other member states. Ukraine is NOT a member of Nato. And cannot currently join Nato, because only a country not at war can join.
It has been said that the literal minute this war ends, Ukraines application is all but already passed. But that can't happen until they end the war. Which means either Putin loses, and goes home, Putin takes all of Ukraine 100% defeated and absorbed into russia, or Ukraine wins the war on their terms.
Until then, Nato is mostly bound to stay out of foreign affairs by their own mission statement
Then they are fucking morons and deserve the nukes. Only feckless pussies sit there and watch the imperial force roll over a country and say "welp, cant do anything about it because they're not our buddies!" These motherfuckers will break all kinds of "regulations" if some billionaire asks for it, so I'm not buying it. "Ukraine can join after the war" is sheer fucking insanity.
NATO is a defensive pact, not a global army. Its job is to keep its member countries safe and peaceful. NATO will not attack Russia unless Russia does so first by attacking a NATO country. Ukraine is currently not in NATO (though they wish to be) and as such NATO will not be involved. The individual countries, of course, can help support Ukraine but that's about it.