MOSCOW (Reuters) -President Vladimir Putin said on Friday Russia would end the war in Ukraine only if Kyiv agreed to drop its NATO ambitions and hand over the entirety of four provinces claimed by Moscow, demands Kyiv swiftly rejected as tantamount to surrender.
On the eve of a conference in Switzerland to which Russia has not been invited, Putin set out maximalist conditions at odds with the terms demanded by Ukraine, apparently reflecting Moscow’s growing confidence that its forces have the upper hand in the war.
He restated his demand for Ukraine’s demilitarisation, unchanged from the day he sent in his troops on Feb. 24, 2022, and said an end to Western sanctions must also be part of a peace deal.
He also repeated his call for Ukraine’s “denazification”, based on what Kyiv calls an slur against its leadership.
Ukraine said the conditions were “absurd”.
“He is offering for Ukraine to admit defeat. He is offering for Ukraine to legally give up its territories to Russia. He is offering for Ukraine to sign away its geopolitical sovereignty,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told Reuters.
I know I’m in the minority here but I say, Put all of NATO into this thing. Shove Russia back to their original border. Take all of Ukraine back. A large chunk of Ukraine is leveled at this point. So a full battle on that side of the country won’t destroy much more.
Ukraine has currently expressed disinterest in foreign troops fighting the war on their behalf, but I agree that any support Ukraine requests, up to and including intervention, we should provide.
Oops
I know at the beginning they were saying just send equipment. I thought they were now asking for troops. My bad.
In that case, send everything we can legally send them.
At least the no fly zone they requested a while back. Not sure how important that is right now but I don’t why that can’t be provided except for cowardice.
Let’s ask the Czechs what they think about the idea that giving away part of your territories to an aggressive imperialistic power is a road to peace and independence.
Putin needs to be in Hague. That’s step 1 of denazification.
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The Azov Brigade was depoliticized all the way back in 2015, despite the constant claims of Russia to the contrary, when they were actually integrated into the Ukrainian National Guard.
