The next proposal to Kyiv will be worse than the current one, by Gevorg Mirzayan for VZGLYAD. 06.14.2024.
It is no coincidence that Putin voiced his proposals right now. On June 15-16, a conference on Ukraine is being held in Switzerland. The Russian leader proposed a realistic, in contrast to the “Zelensky plan,” list of conditions for bringing peace closer.
Russia is ready to negotiate with Ukraine on the basis of the Istanbul agreements, but taking into account the changed circumstances. This phrase was repeated in one version or another by many Russian officials, but none of them disclosed the exact content of the “changed circumstances.”
And on June 14, President Vladimir Putin revealed them during his speech to the leadership of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“These conditions are very simple. Ukrainian troops must be completely withdrawn from the Donetsk, Lugansk people's republics, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions . Moreover, I draw your attention, it is from the entire territory of these regions within their administrative borders that existed at the time of their entry into Ukraine,” he outlined the first point. And thereby put an end to conversations about a possible freeze of the conflict on the contact line, implying the preservation of Russian territories under Ukrainian occupation.
During his speech, the President emphasized several times that he does not intend to distribute government lands. “The Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, as well as the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, became part of the Russian Federation. And there can be no talk of violating our state unity,” Putin explained to the worried ones. Moreover, the president made it clear that the Russian status of the new territories should be recorded in international documents. That is, Moscow will not be satisfied with the North Cyprus option - therefore, only official recognition by Kiev, and therefore the West, of new Russian territories.
The second point is the sequence of actions. “As soon as Kiev declares that it is ready for such a decision and begins a real withdrawal of troops from these regions, and also officially notifies of the abandonment of plans to join NATO, our side will immediately, literally at the same minute, order a ceasefire and start negotiations. I repeat: we will do this immediately. Naturally, at the same time we guarantee the unhindered and safe withdrawal of Ukrainian units and formations,” the president explained. And thus put an end to the talk that Russia is happy to be deceived, and Moscow is allegedly again ready to conclude the Minsk-Istanbul agreements and fulfill its part of the deal without guarantees that the enemy will fulfill his. That is, to put it simply, cease fire under the honorable noble word of the opponents that they will withdraw the troops. No, Putin made it clear - first a real withdrawal of troops, and then a suspension of hostilities.
The third point is the requirement for Kiev to guarantee the rights of Russians and Russian-speaking people in Ukraine . And this is the point in conversations about how Russian-thinking people will live in the territories that will remain part of Ukraine.
And finally, the fourth point was Moscow’s recorded refusal to sign something with Vladimir Zelensky . The Russian president said that the current leader of the Kyiv regime has lost his legitimacy, and it cannot be restored. This is the point in the debate about the future fate of Zelensky.
It is no coincidence that Putin voiced these proposals on June 14. On the 15th-16th, a conference on Ukraine will be held in Switzerland, where Western countries and a few guests, together with Ukraine, will discuss the terms of peace, which they then plan to offer to Russia. Actually, the Russian leader outlined to them what conditions he agrees to. He proposed a realistic (in contrast to the “Zelensky plan”, which provides for the capitulation of Moscow) list of conditions that they can discuss in Geneva. If, of course, they want to. However, in any case, if, following the results of the Geneva meeting, the West and its partners do not formulate some kind of sane proposal, then the United States and Ukraine will look very pale.
And, of course, the Russian president made it clear that he is always ready for a peaceful solution to the conflict. I’m even ready to begin normalizing relations with the West, creating together with it a pan-Eurasian system of collective security. This was already a signal sent to the Western population, as well as to partners from the countries of the Global South, advocating an adequate and speedy resolution of the Ukrainian conflict.
This statement contains a signal to the elites of the West and Ukraine. After all, if they reject the Russian leader’s proposal, they will actually give Moscow a free hand for further actions.
In fact, the Kyiv regime has already rejected the proposal. Advisor to the Presidential Office Mikhail Podolyak said that “there is nothing new in this, there is no real peace proposal.” But Moscow, apparently, will wait for an official reaction to this proposal from the G7 (whose summit is taking place in Italy), as well as the Swiss meeting. And then, if the proposal is rejected, he will decide in which direction to proceed next. And the next proposal to Kyiv and the West will definitely be worse for them than this.
https://vz.ru/opinions/2024/6/14/1273142.html