Russia to face inevitable compromises in peace talks — ISW
Photo: Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russia will have to compromise on its demands, which are incompatible with the US peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
"The Kremlin will need to compromise on demands it has long insisted on, including many that are incompatible not only with the latest 20-point peace plan but also with the initial 28-point plan," analysts believe.
They recall the statement by US Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker, who said that "the ball is currently in [Russia’s] court," while the heavy losses that Russian troops are suffering in exchange for "very small" gains on the battlefield are not pushing the Kremlin to try to end the war.
The Kremlin has repeatedly made demands that are incompatible with many of the proposals in the 20-point plan and has shown that it is not interested in a settlement based on compromises similar to those that appear to be embodied in the latest document.
The ISW notes that Vladimir Putin's demands from June 2024 essentially repeated his demands from the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Kremlin officials also claimed that Russia and the United States had reached an understanding based on Putin's demands made during the Alaska summit in June 2024. Still, no publicly available agreements were made at the summit.
Analysts explain that the Kremlin's constant references to the June 2024 speech and the alleged Alaska agreements demonstrate the Kremlin's rejection of the proposals in the 28- and 20-point plans to freeze existing lines in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions or in all four regions.
US peace plan
During a meeting in Miami on December 19-21, Ukraine and the United States held a series of consultations, focusing on four key documents that form part of a future peace agreement. Most points were agreed upon, but the most difficult issue remains the territorial question.
Yesterday, December 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the contents of the 20-point peace plan for the first time.
The US has stated that it is entirely possible to resolve the war in Ukraine and achieve lasting peace there within the next 90 days. The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to put pressure on both sides—Russia and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, according to media reports, Russia will demand changes to the latest version of the US peace plan to end the war in Ukraine. In particular, the Kremlin wants more restrictions on the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as a resolution of issues regarding sanctions and its frozen assets.
