Hints of a Ukraine-Russia Deal?
Zelensky appears to float suggestions of a compromise, but U.S. officials fear Putin could double down.
By Michael Hirsh, a senior correspondent at Foreign Policy. FP subscribers can now receive alerts when
MARCH 8, 2022, 4:14 PM
With Russia’s bloody aggression in Ukraine apparently bogged down, there are hints this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may be tentatively opening themselves to compromises that might halt the 12-day-old war.
Even so, in testimony to the House intelligence committee on Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told lawmakers that although Putin has been surprised by Ukrainian resistance and the global reaction to his invasion, he “is unlikely to be deterred by such setbacks and instead may escalate, essentially doubling down.”
In a TV interview released Tuesday, Zelensky was asked by David Muir of ABC News how he reacted to proposals from the Kremlin on Monday. “What is your message to Vladimir Putin right now?” Muir asked. Muir noted that to cease hostilities, Moscow was demanding that Ukraine change its constitution to reject any intention to enter NATO as well as recognize Crimea as part of Russia and the two breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states.
Zelensky avoided answering the question directly but indicated he was willing to compromise on most of those points, saying he was “ready for a dialogue.” Regarding NATO, Zelensky said, “I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago, after we understood that … NATO is not prepared to accept Ukraine. The alliance is afraid of controversial things and confrontation with Russia.”
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/08/ukraine-russia-deal/#:~:text=With%20Russia%E2%80%99s%20bloody%20aggression%20in%20Ukraine%20apparently%20bogged,to%20compromises%20that%20might%20halt%20the%2012-day-old%20war.
