Ukraine’s neutrality and lifting of sanctions: Putin sets conditions for ending war - Reuters
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has set out conditions for ending the war in Ukraine. They include, among other things, a requirement that Western leaders commit in writing to halt NATO's eastward expansion and lift some of the sanctions against Russia.
Reuters reports this with reference to Russian sources familiar with the negotiations.
What Putin wants
The dictator wants a written promise from the leading Western powers not to expand NATO to the east, and to formally exclude the future membership of Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and other former Soviet republics.
Putin also wants Ukraine to remain neutral and for Western sanctions to be partially lifted from Russia.
The Kremlin dictator wants to resolve the issue of frozen Russian assets.
Putin also wants to guarantee the protection of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine.
According to the source, if Putin realises that he cannot reach a peace deal on his own terms, he will try to show Ukrainians and Europeans with military victories that "peace tomorrow will be even more painful".
Putin has strengthened his position and wants to get the four regions in eastern Ukraine that Russia considers its own in full, the newspaper writes.
The Kremlin believes that Russia can fight for years, even despite sanctions and economic pressure from the West.
