Russian President Vladimir Putin has checkmated Volodymyr Zelensky after he presented his own vision to bring peace to Ukraine on Friday, an Indian military veteran and an international relations pundit has said.
As part of his peace deal, Putin sought assurances from Ukraine over its long-standing desire to join NATO, which Russia has repeatedly stated was a red-line.
Putin Spells Out Conditions For Peace With Kiev
Among other terms is a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbass, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
"As soon as Kiev declares that it is ready for such a decision and begins the real withdrawal of troops from these regions, as well as officially notifies of the rejection of plans to join NATO, an order will immediately follow from our side, literally at the same minute, to cease fire and begin negotiations. I repeat, we will do this immediately," Putin said in his address to Russian Foreign Ministry officials in Moscow.
Interestingly, Putin's comments come a day ahead of the two-day Swiss-hosted summit where Zelensky is expected to put forward his 10-point peace initiative in front of his Western allies and other world powers.
In this light, Major General (Retd) Prabdeep Singh Behl stressed that there has been no change in Russia's offer – for some time the country has been demanding the status quo as far as territorial gains in Ukraine are concerned and has previously spoken against its NATO membership.
"Putin's statement is timed very well. It comes as a very important strategic move a day before the peace talks scheduled to be held in Switzerland. The Russian peace proposal is a well-crafted one, which is primarily designed to checkmate Zelensky's peace plan for the region. Moreover, it is a plan that isn't tilted or biased toward one party, it is a very balanced initiative that could end hostilities between Russia and Ukraine," Behl told Sputnik India on Friday.
Americans Want the War to Continue
On the contrary, the Americans have promised aid as well as signed a security pact, guaranteeing Ukraine its security for the next 10 years during the ongoing G-7 summit in Italy.
Plus, the US has promised $50 billion in assistance which would come from profits earned through frozen Russian assets. When one looks at all this, it is pretty clear that it is the Americans who want the war to continue, he pointed out.
The defence expert noted that the Ukrainian leader was responsible for the destruction and the lives lost in his country because he became a stooge to Western powers despite being fully aware that he couldn't win the war against Russia despite NATO support.
He opined that Zelensky ruined a nation for a cause that did not exist and it was time, he stood for his own people rather than becoming a puppet of America and its allies.
"The Ukraine summit being held in Switzerland has no relevance without Russia and will not result in a positive movement towards a ceasefire unless Zelensky and his Western allies listen to Moscow's concerns," Behl added.
Russia's Peace Initiative Quite Pragmatic
According to the retired Indian Army officer, unlike the neighbouring country, Russia has been quite pragmatic in its approach concerning Ukraine.
He highlighted that Russia has stuck to its original stance on the issue and has not made any new demands, which he reckoned, was a sign that the country's top leadership wanted to end the conflict.
But because Zelenksy wanted to cling to power for as long as possible, it is highly unlikely that he would accept Putin's proposal for long-lasting peace between the once close strategic partners.
"I expect the peace talks in Switzerland to end in a stalemate as Zelenky's ambitions will not allow him to think about the betterment of his people. He would ask for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops, which Moscow would reject instantly," Behl concluded.