Saturday 23 December 2023

Does Putin really want a ceasefire?

There are new reports that despite all his public bravura about how well the war in Ukraine is going for the Russian troops, President Putin is actually ready for a ceasefire deal, provided, of course, he can hang on to the territory he has managed to seize in the last two years. There is a report in The New York Times quoting Russian sources saying this is how Putin is thinking at the moment. But I don't believe a word of it. I don't think Putin is ready, let alone, willing to negotiate with his Ukranian counterpart, President Zelensky. He doesn't even recognise Zelensky as a human being worthy of doing business with. Putin claims he is happy with what has been achieved so far but I'm pretty sure he wants not just to hang on the territory Russia currenty occupies but he is determined to get more. Most important for him, he wants the whole of Ukraine to feel it has been defeated and subjugated and as a result will be for ever neutralised as a sovereign state. And he also wants the West to suffer humiliation. After the billions and billions of dollars spent on helping Ukraine to fight his troops, Putin would like to see the look of defeat in the eyes of the Nato leaders. This would truly make his day. So,the idea that Putin is seeking a way out now after two years just doesn't stand up. He is prepared to carry on for ever, and let Ukraine and the West go hang.

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