Russian President Vladimir Putin may be open to a cease-fire in his war with Ukraine, so long as the country could still declare victory, a new report by the New York Times found. <\/p>\n
Putin, still confident in his forces, said that Russia\u2019s goals have not changed. In his annual year-end press conference last week, Putin warned that there would be no peace solutionin Ukraine until Russia achieves its overarching goals, the \u201cdenazification\u201d and demilitarization of Ukraine. <\/p>\n
Putin\u2019s message might be different now, as he has reportedly signaled he is ready to make a deal. Since September, Putin has signaled that he is open to a pause in fighting along the current lines, which is much shorter than his intention to dominate Ukraine, according to the Times who cited two former senior Russian officials. \u00a0 <\/p>\n
According to the United Nations, more than 10,000 civilians have been killed and 18,500 have been injured since the start of the war nearly two years ago. <\/p>\n
According to American officials, Putin also put out feelers for a ceasefire in the fall of 2022 after he was not happy with how much territory Russia had captured. <\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Putin\u2019s repeated interest in a cease-fire is an example of how opportunism and improvisation have defined his approach to the war behind closed doors,\u201d the Times wrote. <\/p>\n
The Times said they conducted dozens of interviews with Russians who have known Putin for years that shine a light on his maneuvering to avoid risks and keep his options open in the war that\u2019s lasted longer than he thought it would. <\/p>\n
The officials that spoke with the Times said Putin sees several reasons that make now a good moment to make a deal, particularly since the war seems stuck in a stalemate, Ukraine\u2019s offensive has been disappointing and the onset of the Israel-Hamas war. <\/p>\n
According to the Kremlin\u2019s analysis, public support for the war is broad but not deep, which means most people would accept whatever Putin would deem as a victory. <\/p>\n
Some Western officials are skeptical that Putin would only rearm and rebuild during a cease-fire. <\/p>\n
There is no guarantee that Ukraine\u2019s leaders would accept a deal, though the country has been struggling to finance its military amid delays in funding from both Europe and the United States. <\/p>\n
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Putin could be open to a pause in fighting amid Russia-Ukraine war: Report - The Hill<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Russian President Vladimir Putin may be open to a cease-fire in his war with Ukraine, so long as the country could still declare victory, a new report by the New York Times found. Putin, still confident in his forces, said that Russia\u2019s goals have not changed Continue reading