What does Russia want from Ukraine?
In a conversation with Turkish President Erdogan, Russian President Putin laid out his demands for ending the war in Ukraine. The BBC reported this, which spoke to Erdogan’s spokesman and adviser Ibrahim Kalin half an hour after that conversation. Kalin was able to listen in on the dialogue between the two presidents.
According to Erdogan’s advisor, Ukraine must first accept from Russian President Putin that it will remain “neutral” and not become a member of NATO. Ukrainian President Zelensky has already indicated that he may concede on this point.
In addition, Ukraine would have to undergo a disarmament process to ensure that it does not pose a threat to Russia. There should also be protection for the Russian language in Ukraine. There is also a demand for “denazification,” of which it is unclear what is meant by it specifically. Perhaps, according to the BBC, it means that Ukraine must promise to condemn and fight all forms of neo-Nazism. To get the latest stories, install our app here.
The tougher demands, which will be harder for Ukraine to meet, according to Kalin, concern the status of the Donbas region, parts of which have declared independence, and Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
It is believed – Kalin did not go into detail, according to the BBC – that Putin will demand that the Ukrainian government give up the territories in the east of the country. In addition, it is believed that Russia will demand that Ukraine formally recognize that Crimea is now Russian territory.
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