According to the "Financial Times", Vladimir Putin was to declare his willingness to halt the invasion of Ukraine on the current frontline. diary informers say that the proposal was made during a gathering with American envoy Steve Witkoff as early as April. Moments earlier, as stated by the "Washington Post", Putin proposed a ceasefire for Orthodox Easter. Officially – out of concern for civilians. Unofficially – as part of a wider political game.
Unfortunately despite the announcements – Putin did not halt attacking. As we reported in naTemat.pl" during the first six hours of the "great truce" was to happen to 387 shellings, 19 land attacks and 290 cases of drone use.
Meanwhile, U.S. president Donald Trump announced that without a fast agreement he would halt engaging in the end of the war. This may explain Russian haste in making "peaceful" proposals. In exchange for stopping the offensive, Russia would hold control of occupied areas – including especially the illegally seized and occupied Crimea for more than 10 years.
Peace with conditions that Ukraine will not accept
According to reports from Western media, Putin's plan would imply formal designation of Russian control over the already occupied regions. He would forgo further claims against the lands under Kiev's control. Although this sounds like a compromise, Ukraine sees this as an effort to legitimize armed aggression. – This is the territory of the Ukrainian people – he reminded Zelenski during a press conference.
Kiev does not agree to specified conditions. There's nothing to talk about. This goes beyond our constitution," said Volodymyr Zelenski.
Witkoff plans to return to Moscow to proceed talks with the president of Russia. White home spokeswoman Karolina Leavitt announced that she did not regulation out that another gathering with Putin would actually happen – even "still this week".
Why is Putin fighting so hard for the Crimea?
Crimea is not just a strategical point on the map. It's a place of complex past and unique culture. It was transferred to Ukraine in 1954 by the USSR authorities and for 2 decades since 1991 it has functioned within the Ukrainian State as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Everything changed in 2014 erstwhile Russia took over.
For Moscow, Crimea is not only a symbol – it is simply a key port and military base on the Black Sea. But Crimea is besides a home for many nationalities, including Crimean Tatars – a people who felt peculiarly painfully the effects of Russian annexation. This cultural mosaic – from the Tatars, through Russians and Ukrainians, to Armenians and Greeks. A complex space that cannot be forced into simple geopolitical divisions.
