Putin openly demands Ukraine's surrender for a ceasefire – ISW

Putin openly demands the surrender of Ukraine for a ceasefire, – ISW Diana Kwasniewska

Putin voiced his demands for a ceasefire/Getty Images00:0000:331x1xAudio synthesized using AI.More Audio News

Vladimir Putin said that he demands the “irreversible” “demilitarization” of Ukraine. This is what the Russian dictator called the main prerequisite for the ceasefire agreement.

Analysts explain that the Kremlin leader has effectively abandoned any ceasefire agreement without Ukraine's surrender. He made this statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana (Kazakhstan) on July 4.

What analysts say about the statements Putin

Experts from the American Institute for the Study of War said that the Russian dictator commented at the summit prospects for a negotiated ceasefire in Ukraine.

…But instead of offering his typical feigned interest in such negotiations, he outright rejected any negotiation process to end fire,” ISW said.

They explained that Putin had previously repeatedly portrayed the West as his likely negotiating partner for a ceasefire agreement to encourage it to make concessions on Ukraine's sovereignty. However, this time the Russian dictator:

• rejected all mediating parties in concluding an agreement between Ukraine and Russia;
• rejected the Verkhovna Rada as a possible contact for negotiations. Despite the fact that it previously stated that this body is the only legitimate Ukrainian structure with which Russia can negotiate;
• called all Ukrainian government institutions “illegitimate” or “unsuitable” for negotiations;
• rejected the idea of ​​third party participation in the negotiations, effectively rejecting any realistic process for full negotiations on a ceasefire agreement.

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ISW continues to assess that Russia will take advantage of the respite to rebuild and expand its forces and further mobilize its defense industrial base for future aggression aimed at destroying Ukraine , the experts explained.

Putin’s refusal, they say, of any ceasefire agreement without Ukraine’s surrender further indicates that he is confident in his assessment that Russia can achieve victory, continuing the creeping advance in Ukraine. That is, the Russian dictator is betting on a war of attrition without the support of Kyiv from the West.

By the way, Vladimir Zelensky explained that the mediators in the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia could be the USA and China. According to the Ukrainian leader, in order for this war to end fairly for Ukraine and the whole world, we will have to find some positions somewhere to stop Putin together.