Did we just get closer to peace, or did we just get closer to war? On Thursday, some media outlets in the U.S. were boldly proclaiming that Vladimir Putin had “agreed in principle” to Donald Trump’s proposal for a 30 day ceasefire in Ukraine, while other media outlets in the U.S. were flatly telling us that Vladimir Putin had rejected Donald Trump’s proposal. So what is the truth?
There are two news stories that I want you to compare. The first comes from Newsweek…
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia agrees in principle with the United States’ ceasefire proposal, but key terms still need to be negotiated. He stressed that any agreement should lead to lasting peace and address the root causes of the conflict.
That sounds quite promising, right?
But now compare that to this story from the Wall Street Journal…
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he didn’t support an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine, calling for more discussion on a permanent end to the war as Moscow’s army made rapid gains toward expelling Kyiv’s forces from its Kursk region.
Putin said any pause in fighting at this point would be in Ukraine’s interest because Russia is gaining on the battlefield, and a host of issues would need to be resolved before a cease-fire could be reached.
That puts a completely different spin on things.
Of course the reality is somewhere in between.
Vladimir Putin expressed support for the “idea” of a 30 day ceasefire, but he stressed that there are a number of things that need to be worked out before such a ceasefire can be instituted…
“The idea [of a ceasefire] itself is correct and we are certainly supporting it, but there are issues that need to be discussed. I think that we need to talk to our American colleagues and partners. Maybe call President Trump and discuss it together. But we support the very idea of ending this conflict through peaceful means,” he said, according to an NBC translation.
Putin also said a deal must “proceed from the fact that this cessation should be such that it would lead to long-term peace and eliminate the root causes of this crisis.”
A lot of people got really excited about Putin’s comments, but the conditions that Putin discussed next are not being widely reported by the mainstream media.
In order to agree to a 30 day ceasefire, Putin wants Ukraine to accept some pretty tough conditions…
“We also want guarantees that during the 30-day ceasefire, Ukraine will not conduct mobilization, will not train soldiers, and will not receive weapons,” Putin said during a press briefing with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow.
The president pointed out that Russian troops are advancing along nearly 2,000 kilometers of frontline, and halting military actions could disrupt ongoing operations. Ukrainian forces could use a ceasefire period to regroup, receive more weapons, and train fresh recruits, he warned.
“These 30 days — how will they be used? To continue forced mobilization in Ukraine? To receive more arms supplies? To train newly mobilized units? Or will none of this happen?” Putin asked.
The Russians are concerned that the Ukrainians could use a 30 day ceasefire to rearm.
And I think that is a legitimate concern.
Needless to say, it is extremely unlikely that the Ukrainians would agree to such conditions.
So I don’t think that we will see a 30 day ceasefire any time soon.
Following Putin’s press briefing, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made some very harsh remarks…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Putin’s response “highly predictable” and “manipulative words” aimed at dragging out the process by setting unworkable preconditions. “Of course, Putin is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war and keep killing Ukrainians,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address. “Putin does this often—he doesn’t say ‘no’ outright, but he drags things out and makes reasonable solutions impossible.”
I actually agree that Putin is trying to drag things out.
Russian forces are making some rapid gains at the moment, and Putin doesn’t want to cut those gains short.
But Donald Trump wants some sort of an agreement to happen quickly. In fact, he has dispatched a delegation to Moscow to discuss a potential ceasefire with Russian officials…
A delegation of United States diplomats arrived in Moscow on Thursday morning for talks on agreeing a ceasefire in the Ukraine War, with a possible call between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin to follow.
America’s Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff flew into Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on Thursday morning, having travelled from Doha, Qatar by way of European airspace on a Gulfstream executive jet. Witkoff and a team of negotiators are in the Russian capital to attempt to hammer out an agreement on the proposed Ukraine War 30-day ceasefire.
I don’t think that these talks are going to bear much fruit.
What the Russians want in exchange for a 30 day ceasefire is quite unacceptable to the Ukrainians.
And what the Russians want in exchange for a permanent ceasefire is even more unacceptable to the Ukrainians…
Russian and American officials have discussed the terms during in-person and virtual talks over the past three weeks, according to sources. They described the Kremlin’s conditions as broad and similar to the demands it previously put forward to Ukraine, the US, and NATO.
Earlier conditions included Ukraine renouncing NATO membership, an agreement prohibiting the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine, and international recognition of Vladimir Putin’s claim over Crimea and four Ukrainian regions. In recent years, Russia has also demanded that the US and NATO address the so-called “root causes” of the war, including NATO’s eastward expansion.
Ultimately, not much has changed at all.
One prominent analyst believes that there is “no sign that the Russians are willing to make any concessions” that will result in a breakthrough…
“There’s no sign that the Russians are willing to make any concessions,” said Angela Stent, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who was the top US intelligence analyst for Russia and Eurasia. “The demands haven’t changed at all. I think they are not really interested in peace or a meaningful ceasefire.”
Everyone is looking for the Russians to make concessions, but they are clearly winning the war.
They have all the cards at this point, and the vast majority of the Russian population is against returning territory to Ukraine…
Meanwhile, according to the Levada Center, a majority of Russians (75%) would support a decision by Vladimir Putin to end the war with Ukraine “this week.” However, if Putin decided to end the war under the condition of returning occupied territories, only 28% of Russians would support such a decision.
So what is the bottom line?
The bottom line is that there will be no permanent peace deal any time soon, and it appears that even a 30 day ceasefire is extremely unlikely to happen.
Interestingly, all of this drama is unfolding just as the second Blood Moon Purim eclipse is appearing in the sky.
If you have clear skies where you live, you will be able to view it on Thursday night…
A total lunar eclipse will be viewable in the United States overnight into Friday morning, so some may want to pull an all-nighter to catch a good look at the rare celestial event, also known as the “blood moon.”
Apparently, from the viewpoint of the Moon it will appear as if our planet is actually on fire during this eclipse…
This is such a critical moment in our history.
This is our one chance at peace with the Russians, and we must not blow it.
Unfortunately, both sides do not seem to be inclined to do too much compromising, and that is extremely unfortunate.
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About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new blockbuster entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing. You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter. Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.