Originally posted by Dr. Strangelove
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Zelenski, in short, will negotiate territory only after a cease fire and Russian forces have returned to where they came from. He's already offered neutrality and won't join NATO. However, that offer is contingent on "iron clad" security guarantees. A combination of countries including the US, Turkey and Russia would guarantee to defend the territorial integrity of Ukraine from aggression. None of the countries in this arrangement have commented on the proposal. It is highly unlikely they'd agree to them.
Other reports from the Economist suggest Putin is being mislead regarding the status of Russian forces on the ground in Ukraine and the economic fall-out from sanctions. They are too afraid to tell Putin things aren't going well. His almost complete isolation during the COVID pandemic exacerbates his situational awareness. The net result is that since Putin probably does not know of the losses his forces have sustained and the level of effective resistance to the presence of Russian forces on Ukrainian soil, he's not likely to be receptive of proposals for cease fires or negotiating with Zaleski.
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