Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have outlined the conditions for ending the war in Ukraine, including a written promise from Western leaders to stop NATO's eastward expansion and the lifting of some sanctions against Russia, Reuters reported, citing three Russian sources, Ukrinform news agency reported, quoted by BTA.
“Putin is ready to make peace, but not at any price“, said one of the senior Russian sources familiar with the thinking at the highest level in the Kremlin.
The three Russian sources say Putin wants a written promise from major Western countries not to expand the US-led NATO alliance eastward - in other words, excluding Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova and other former Soviet republics from membership republics.
Russia also wants Ukraine to be neutral, some Western sanctions to be lifted, the issue of frozen Russian sovereign assets in the West to be resolved, and protection for Russian speakers in Ukraine to be ensured.
The first source said that if Putin realizes that he is unable to reach a peace agreement on his own terms, he will try to show Ukrainians and Europeans through military victories that “tomorrow's peace will be even more painful“. NATO has said in the past that it will not change its “open door” policy only because Moscow demands it, Ukrinform reports.
The first Reuters source said that if Putin sees a tactical opportunity on the battlefield, he will continue to advance in Ukraine, and that the Kremlin believes that Russia can fight for years, regardless of sanctions and economic hardships imposed by the West.
The second source said that Putin is no longer so inclined to compromise on territory and is sticking to his public position that he wants to get all four regions in eastern Ukraine that Russia claims.
“Putin has hardened his position“, the second source said on the territory issue.