Russia blocks peace talks: Is the ceasefire in danger?

Russia blocks peace talks: Is the ceasefire in danger?

Kiew, Ukraine - The conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues to come to a head, while the diplomatic efforts are progressing around a ceasefire. Andrij Jermak, the head of the Ukrainian president, accuses Russia of playing in temporary negotiations and undermining the advance for a break. In a recent telegram, Jermak explained that Russia not only manipulates the talks, but also ignores the USA's proposal, which has been in the room since March. Ukraine hopes for a ceasefire, which Russia continues to reject. This silence, according to Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha, only shows that Russia is interested in continuing the war.

A short hope of hope resulted from the surprising agreement between the USA and Ukraine, which presented a common proposal for a preliminary ceasefire of 30 days. This agreement was announced after talks in Saudi Arabia and stipulates that Ukraine will set rocket, drone and bomb attacks along the entire front line. However, the exact details of the implementation are unclear, and the extension of the fire break depends on the approval of Russia. Foreign Minister Lavrow already indicated that Russia may want to stick to its maximum claims.

Putin's conditions for a ceasefire

Vladimir Putin has formulated conditions for an armistice. He demands the withdrawal of Ukraine from four annexed areas and giving up their NATO accession plans. This is done in the context of its proposal to achieve a final solution to the conflict, which goes beyond the mere freezing of the situation. Other conditions include the ban on Ukraine to own nuclear weapons, restrictions on their military power and the protection of the Russian -speaking population in Ukraine. Russia also requires the cancellation of all western sanctions.

The Ukrainian government, however, reacted with outrage. Ukraine continues to work for the withdrawal of all Russian troops and would like to join NATO. The Ukraine ambassador Oleksii Makeieev described Putin's conditions as unacceptable. This reflects the highly divergent positions on both sides.

In another diplomatic initiative, a peace conference in Switzerland is planned in which Ukraine and numerous other states will take part. According to the previous information, Russia is not invited. This conference is based on a peace plan of the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj from 2022 and is intended to be a symbolic attempt to mobilize the international community against the aggressions of Russia.

The dynamics of the conflict remains tense, while Ukraine and its allies in the western world continue to fight the decisions and strategies of Russia. It remains to be seen whether the recent advance of ceasefire can actually lead to a de -escalation. Signs indicate that Russia could remain in its strategy for the time being, while Ukraine continues to hope for international support and a clear answer from Moscow.

For more detailed information on the latest developments in this context, see OE24, Tagesschau and ZDF.