Lawrence Freedman
There were reports yesterday that the US and Russia have agreed on a new peace plan that would soon be presented to Kyiv as a fait accompli although it would be tantamount to a Ukrainian capitulation. The story broke in Axios and was then picked up by the Financial Times and also Reuters and was soon being reported around the media. This was how the Financial Times described the plan:
‘According to people with knowledge of a document about the draft plan, it would require Ukraine to cede the remainder of the eastern Donbas region — including land currently under Kyiv’s control — and cut the size of its armed forces by half. Crucially, it also calls for Ukraine to abandon key categories of weaponry and would include the rollback of US military assistance that has been vital to its defence, potentially leaving the country vulnerable to future Russian aggression. Additionally, no foreign troops would be allowed on Ukrainian soil and Kyiv would no longer receive western long-range weapons that can reach deep inside Russia. The plan would also stipulate that Russian be recognised as an official state language in Ukraine and grant formal status to the local branch of the Russian Orthodox Church — provisions echoing long-standing Kremlin political objectives.’
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