Photo: Depositphotos
MOSCOW, 17 March – Russia is considering including in the “peace agreement” a provision for the deployment of unarmed observers and a civilian mission to monitor the implementation of the agreement.
This was stated by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko in an interview with Izvestia, as quoted by the TASS propaganda agency.
The Russian version of the “peace agreement”
According to Grushko, Russia will insist that a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine be accompanied by “ironclad security guarantees”, which will include:
– Ukraine’s refusal to join NATO
– Enshrining Ukraine’s neutral status
– Monitoring by an international civilian mission
“If we are talking about a peaceful solution to the conflict, it will have an external outline. We will demand that strong security guarantees become part of the agreement,” Grushko said.
He also noted that such guarantees would “strengthen regional security” and allegedly help achieve “sustainable peace”.
Neutral status and fear of NATO
Russia has once again insisted that Ukraine’s neutrality should be part of the peace agreement.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the possible deployment of European troops in Ukraine would mean NATO’s direct involvement in the war.
At the same time, for three years now, the Kremlin has been trying to justify its invasion by saying that it is “at war with the West and NATO”, although in fact the war is against Ukraine.
What does this mean?
The statements of Russian diplomats look like an attempt to impose “peace” on their own terms, which implies a de facto restriction of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The demand for Ukraine’s withdrawal from NATO and the establishment of a monitoring mission could be part of Russia’s pressure on international negotiations.
Ukraine and its allies have repeatedly stated that any peace agreements that provide for territorial concessions or restrictions on national sovereignty are unacceptable.
Thus, Moscow’s initiative looks like another attempt at a diplomatic manoeuvre amid the ongoing hostilities.
