Experts state Russia's conditions for ceasefire with Ukraine

Military analyst, Editor-in-Chief of the Russian Defense magazine Igor Korotchenko told RIA Novosti that a ceasefire and the signing of a peace agreement with Ukraine would only be possible after the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Russian territory, including the Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.

The Russian president has made basic demands, including at least international recognition of Russia's new borders including the four newly annexed entities, meaning that military actions will end when Ukrainian troops withdraw from the Russian Federation region where Ukrainian forces are still stationed, said military expert Korotchenko.

This must happen before any peace agreement with Ukraine is signed, Korotchenko stressed, as the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Russian territory, including new areas, is a “basic condition” for signing a peace text.

“It is clear that these demands of the Kremlin will form the basis for Russia's negotiating position at possible international meetings aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine,” the expert added.

In addition, according to Mr. Korotchenko, Russia must receive guarantees that Ukraine will never become a member of NATO. Korotchenko said, another demand is a ban on the Ukrainian Armed Forces possessing long-range missile systems to prevent new attacks on targets on Russian territory and eliminate the possibility of a recurrence of conflict.

Vladimir Vinokurov, head of the Center for Military-Diplomatic Analysis and Assessment, and a veteran of the Russian Intelligence Service, argued that the importance of the use of force in world politics in the 21st century has increased dramatically and there are no longer any prerequisites for laying down arms.

"The category of force in international relations has always been the focus of attention of scientists and experts in this field. Since the beginning of human history, military force has been used as a tool to achieve political goals, protect or gain new territories. According to calculations by researchers, humans have waged more than 14,000 different wars, in which about 4 billion people died. In the 20th century alone, about 200 million people died in military conflicts," said expert Vinokurov.

Vinokurov argues that at the beginning of the 21st century, the importance of the use of force in politics and international relations has increased dramatically. "Recently, the world has witnessed major clashes related to events in and around Ukraine, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently, there are no preconditions for laying down arms. Both states and non-state actors continue to consider the use of force to achieve their goals," Vinokurov notes.