Putin Proposes NATO Halt, Sanctions Lift for Ukraine Ceasefire

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed conditions to end the conflict in Ukraine, according to three Russian sources familiar with the negotiations. The conditions include a written commitment from Western leaders to halt the eastward expansion of NATO and the lifting of most sanctions against Russia. The sources indicated that the acceptance of these terms by the opposing side will determine whether the conflict continues or a ceasefire is achieved.

One of the sources, who is familiar with the thinking of the Kremlin's top leadership, stated that "Putin is willing to achieve peace, but not at any cost." The conditions proposed by Putin include a written promise from major Western countries to not push for the expansion of the US-led NATO alliance to the east, effectively ruling out the possibility of former Soviet republics such as Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova joining the alliance. Additionally, Russia has demanded that Ukraine remain neutral, that some sanctions be lifted, that the issue of frozen Russian sovereign assets be resolved, and that Russian-speaking individuals within Ukraine be protected.

One of the sources even warned that if Putin realizes he cannot achieve a peace agreement on his terms, he will seek to demonstrate to Ukrainians and Europeans through military victory that "tomorrow's peace will be even more painful." Despite these revelations, the Kremlin has not yet responded to these statements. However, recent actions and responses from Russia appear to be increasingly firm.

Early last week, Russia launched a large-scale air strike on Ukraine, using missiles and drones to target multiple cities, including the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. This was the largest air strike since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, resulting in at least 12 deaths and multiple injuries. The Donald Trump has expressed his disappointment with the situation and issued a warning to Putin. He posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, "What Vladimir Putin doesn't realize is that if it weren't for me, many very bad things would have already happened in Russia, I mean very bad. He is playing with fire."

Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, responded strongly on X, stating, "Regarding Trump's remarks about Putin 'playing with fire' and 'very bad things' happening in Russia. I only know of one very bad thing—World War III. I hope Trump understands this!"

Previously, Putin and other Russian officials have repeatedly stated that any peace agreement must address the "root causes" of the conflict, which, in their view, means NATO's eastward expansion and Western support for Ukraine. Kyiv has repeatedly stated that Russia should not have a veto over its joining NATO and that it needs strong security guarantees from the West to deter future potential Russian attacks. NATO has also stated that it will not change its "open door" policy due to Moscow's demands.