Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly hinted that he would be open to discussing ending the war in Ukraine on Moscow's terms. The contours of the agreement he probably wants to make can be seen in the draft peace treaty drawn up by Russian and Ukrainian delegations in April 2022. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal.
This document, dated April 15, 2022, describes how both sides tried to end hostilities by agreeing to transform Ukraine into a "permanently neutral state that is not part of military blocs," while prohibiting the country from rebuilding its armed forces with Western support and leaving Crimea under Russian control.
However, no agreement was reached. The extent of Russia's war crimes in Ukraine became apparent, and the situation of Ukrainian troops improved, leading to the start of Western arms supplies to support Kyiv.
Today's Ukraine claims that it will not start peace talks until Russia withdraws its troops from the country.
Two years of war have caused a sharp reaction in Ukrainian society against any peace agreement, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that any cessation of hostilities will only allow Russia to prepare for new attacks on Ukraine.
