Russian decision-makers have shared their view on possible Ukraine peace-talks‚ which might happen if Donald Trump returns to office next year. Five well-informed sources (who chose to stay unnamed) told about Vladimir Putinʼs position on key issues
The first paragraph shows that Putin would agree to discuss stopping fights‚ but wont give up most taken lands: some areas in north-east and south might be up for talks. The Russian leader wants Ukraine to forget about joining NATO - thats his main demand
Here are the territories Moscow controls right-now:
- All of Crimea (taken about 10 years ago)
- Most of Donetsk and Luhansk regions
- Big parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson
- Small pieces of Kharkiv area
The sources say that Russia might talk about changing borders in these regions‚ but wont discuss Crimeaʼs status. They also think any deal should include limits on Ukraineʼs army size and rules about Russian language use; Moscow could agree to give Kyiv some security promises in return
If there is no neutrality‚ it is difficult to imagine the existence of any good-neighbourly relations between Russia and Ukraine
Recent US-made ATACMS missiles use by Ukraine makes things more complex - two sources think this might push Moscow to ask for more territory. Dmitry Peskov‚ Kremlinʼs main speaker calls this “a very dangerous step-up by the US“
The deal-making process isnt simple because both sides have firm positions: Kyiv wants all its land back while Moscow claims new regions as its own. Some experts think a quick stop to fighting is possible but a long-term fix needs much more work