Russia Offers Peace Terms To Ukraine In Exchange For Neutrality And The Handing Over Of Territory

Russia has announced the terms on which it will cease its invasion of Ukraine and end the war. The terms of peace were outlined by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, a senior figure in the Russian Government.

The three key terms include, that Ukraine accepts neutrality in its constitution and promise to never join NATO, that Ukraine hands over Crimea and accept it as part of Russia, and that Ukraine accepts the independence of Luhansk and Donetsk, two areas known collectively as ‘the Dobass’.

Russia says if these terms are accepted, all Russian forces would leave Ukraine.

Crimea and the Donbass are populated largely by Russian speakers, many of whom, do not wish to be Ukrainian citizens. However, Crimea also gives Russia access to vast oil and gas deposits stored in the seabed surrounding the island.

Russia has militarily occupied Crimea since 2014, and the Donbass has been the scene of a brutal internal war which broke out in the same year and has thus far cost around 14,000 lives.

Peskov told Russian television:

"The president [Putin] formulated his vision of what we would expect from Ukraine in order for the so-called ‘red line’ problems to be resolved. This is neutral status, and this is a refusal to deploy weapons. The [invasion] has its goals. The president said that all decisions have been made, and the goals will be achieved."

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, also said in a speech preceding the peace-terms announcement that he does not intend on occupying Ukraine (outside of the areas demanded in the peace offer).

The Ukrainian government has continually said it will not give up an inch of its soil, however, facing the huge cost of the ongoing Russian invasion it could at least be imagined that the deal may be tempting.

The other issue is one of trust, and many will be asking whether Ukraine can agree to peace terms given that it has been so brutally invaded and attacked, particularly when Russia continually told Ukraine and the world that they had no intention of ever invading the country.

[Based on reporting by: The National Interest]