The Russian Government has completely rejected proposals for a one-month halt in fighting in Ukraine. This rejection also includes a proposed pause in aerial and naval attacks. The fighting will continue.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made it clear: Russia won’t accept a “respite” without firm agreements on a final settlement.
TURKEY READY TO DEPLOY TROOPS TO UKRAINE IF NEEDED
The government of Turkey, NATO’s second-largest military power, has indicated it is willing to join a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine to ensure regional stability.
The move, still conceptual, would follow a ceasefire and involve non-combat units to monitor peace.
The proposal was made despite Moscow’s full rejection of NATO forces entering Ukraine for __any__ military purpose, though U.S. President Donald Trump believes Russia might agree.
Turkey, balancing ties with both Kyiv and Moscow, has mediated past deals like the Black Sea grain export agreement.
For Russia, none of these proposals make sense for multiple reasons. First, Russia is winning. If they agree to a "halt" or a "pause" or even the entry of "peacekeepers" both Ukraine and teh collective West, operating as NATO, have proven they simply cannot be trusted. The Russians believe any halt to the combat would be immediately used to re-supply, re-arm present Ukrainian troops, and add more troops, for a continued fight, later.
Russia has good reasons to NOT trust both Ukraine and the West.
Back in 2014, the France, Germany, Ukraine, and Russia, bargained at the Minsk Peace Conference for 19 hours, hammering-out a deal that would have stopped the fighting between Ukraine and two of its oblasts (states) Luhansk and Donetsk.
All the parties to the negotiations signed what became known as the "Minsk Agreement." Ukraine did not honor even ONE of the terms in that agreement, and on February 21, 2022, just days before Russia decided to enter Ukraine, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Kuleba said publicly "Ukraine will never honor the Minsk Agreement."
Later, about a year or so into the combat, former French President Francois Hollande and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, both of whom signed the Minsk Agreement, admitted in two separate TV interviews, they attended the Minsk Conference "only to buy time for Ukraine to arm for war against Russia."
In other words, their entire participation at the peace conference in Minsk, was a ruse. Deceit. Intentional deception.
As for Turkey offering to send "Peace Keeping" troops, Russia knows the Turks say one thing when moving their military, but end up doing ANOTHER thing; as was done - and is still being done - inside Syria. Turkish conduct inside Syria shows Russia the Turks cannot be trusted.
These situations being what they are, Russia knows that the collective West does not honor its agreements and cannot be trusted to negotiate honestly.
As such, accepting a West-sponsored "temporary" ceasefire, would be Russia cutting its own throat.
With today's public rejection of a temporary ceasefire, the combat goes on.
Ukraine is losing. Badly.
If Ukraine does not capitulate, or enter into serious, verifiable, negotiations, Ukraine may no longer exist. People who fail (or refuse) to accept this factual reality, are deluding themselves.
