Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West of the risk of nuclear war if it sends troops to fight in Ukraine. During an annual parliamentary address, he said Moscow had weapons that could hit Western targets. Photo: Gavriil Grigorov/Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin has in recent weeks publicly hinted that he would be open to discussions to end the war in Ukraine on Moscow’s terms, as Kyiv’s military momentum stalls.
A draft peace treaty drawn up by Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in April 2022, about six weeks after the start of the war, lays bare the sort of deal Putin was after at the time. Western officials and analysts say the Kremlin clings to its original objectives after two years of fighting: Turn Ukraine into a neutered state permanently vulnerable to Russian military aggression. The terms Russia seeks now are likely to be even more severe.
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