There are two consistent statements made about Ukraine within the Putin paradigm.
Trump, "How can there be this length of time without elections? You mean to tell me if I declare war there will be no elections in the USA?"
Putin, (paraphrase) "The devil is in the details." Basically, every time there is a ceasefire mentioned Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov states all the details need to be worked out before any consent for a ceasefire can occur.
I know nothing more the entire Free World seeks than a global understanding that war is a fools errand. It creates more problems than it ever solves and in the Middle East it creates martyr brigades that pledge their lives for revenge. But, as to Ukraine, who would not want in their hearts of hearts an end to the carnage and disruption of global peace? The reason Ukraine disarmed in the first place was to end any chance of assault from powers on both of the governance divide. It wanted peace and prosperity that included trade with both sides. For that Ukraine received an occupation of Crimea and an invasion into Donbas and Russian support for rebels nurtured by communism.
By Jill Covin
Russian leader Vladimir Putin (click here) agreed at his summit with President Donald Trump that the United States and its European allies could offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO’s collective defense mandate as part of an eventual deal to end the war, a U.S. official said Sunday.
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, who took part in the talks Friday at a military base in Alaska, said it “was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that” and called it “game-changing.”
“We were able to win the following concession: that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO,” Witkoff told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Witkoff offered few details on how such an arrangement would work. But it appeared to be a major shift for Putin and could serve as a workaround to his deep-seated objection to Ukraine’s potential NATO membership, a step that Kyiv has long sought....
Putin doesn't have a choice but to seek such an agreement. Russia never stays true to it's agreements or treaties. There is a long history, especially with Ukraine, to that statement. I believe Putin needs to go forward with a peace agreement and not simply a strategic ceasefire. But, there also needs to be a great deal of detail that spells out clearly the country of Ukraine, the people of Ukraine can move against another regime like Yanukovych without any more deaths or threats to it's democracy. The details have to spell out clearly that Ukraine can not only have Article 5 protections, but, is guaranteed that Russia is getting out of Ukrainian business by allowing application to the EU and NATO (as all the other Post Soviet states) as well as a productive economic guarantee with Russia. Ukraine wanted to trade with Russia. Ukraine wanted to trade prosperity with Russia, not bullets and missiles. Ukraine was officially a neutral nation when Putin changed his mind about any and all agreements and treaties.
No more Russian corruption of elections, politics, or economic forums.
Freedom is freedom and not some sort of distorted elitist governance.
