Vladimir Putin appears open to negotiations with Donald Trump in order to reach an agreement for a ceasefire in Ukraine, according to Reuters.
However, according to the same report, Putin rules out any compromise regarding territorial matters and insists that Ukraine must abandon its aspirations to join NATO.
In the first detailed report on what Putin might accept in a potential agreement with Trump, Reuters reports that five current and former Russian officials stated that the Kremlin could agree to a freeze on hostilities on the front lines in Ukraine.
The Kremlin, according to these sources, is pushing to limit the size of Ukraine’s armed forces and for a commitment not to restrict the use of the Russian language.
It is reminded that a few days ago, Vladimir Putin stated that any ceasefire agreement should reflect the “realities” on the ground, adding that he feared a short-lived ceasefire that would allow the West to rearm Ukraine.
At the same time, however, two of Reuters’ sources noted that Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use U.S. ATACMS missiles for strikes deep into Russia could complicate and delay any settlement and harden Moscow’s demands, as hardliners push for a larger portion of Ukraine.
If a ceasefire is not agreed upon, the two sources said, Russia will continue to fight.
Reuters also reached out to Trump’s communications director, Stephen Chang, who said that the new U.S. president “is the only person who can bring both sides together to negotiate peace and work toward ending the war and ending the killings.”
What could be agreed upon
When asked what a ceasefire agreement could entail, two of the Russian sources referred to a draft agreement that was nearly approved in April 2022 after talks in Istanbul, which Putin has publicly referred to as a potential basis for an agreement.
According to this draft, a copy of which Reuters has seen, Ukraine would have to agree to permanent neutrality in exchange for international security guarantees from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States.
One of the Russian officials stated that no agreement would be reached if Ukraine did not receive security guarantees, adding: “The question is how to avoid an agreement that would trap the West in a potential direct confrontation with Russia someday.”
