Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a large-scale prisoner exchange but failed to reach a breakthrough during their first direct peace talks since 2022, held in Istanbul without either Vladimir Putin or Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Sitting down under pressure from the US president, Donald Trump, Ukraine had pushed for a 30-day ceasefire before the talks. Moscow rejected this, appearing to stick to its maximalist demands, including sweeping restrictions on Ukrainian sovereignty.
Moscow rejected this, appearing to stick to its maximalist demands, including sweeping restrictions on Ukrainian sovereignty.
Generally speaking, the winner of a war will demand that their terms are met before agreeing to a truce. For the UK, a country that has taken part in its fair share of warfare, usually as the unprovoked aggressor, it’s surprising that they don’t seem to understand this.
And sovereignty for which Ukrainians? The current facist state, filled to the brim with neo-nazis? Or the the people of the Donbass who they stripped of their rights, banned their political parties, and began to ethnically cleanse of the region when they attempted to resist? Of course we know they are always speaking of the former. The Guardian, always the mouthpiece of the fascist UK state.
I notice Russia is more worried about Ukraine rearming and hardening its defenses during a ceasefire but nothing about what it would be doing. Is the Russian MIC in trouble I wonder?
