Russia’s 15-point Ceasefire Peace Plan

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What has happened?

Russia and Ukraine have made significant progress on the tentative peace plan, which includes ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian forces if Kyiv maintains neutrality.
According to a report in Financial Times, Ukrainian and Russian officials discussed the 15-point draft peace deal for the first time on Monday.

The deal reportedly involves the Ukrainian government declaring neutrality, ensuring that it does not host foreign military bases from US and other NATO countries and Putin’s forces withdrawing from the country.
It would also require Kyiv to formally drop its ambition to join Nato and not host foreign military bases or weaponry.
In exchange, they would get protection from allies, such as the US, UK and Turkey.

An official in Zelenskyy’s office said the talks have centered on whether Russian troops would remain in separatist regions in eastern Ukraine after the war and where borders would be.
Ukraine also wants at least one Western nuclear power involved in the talks, and a legally binding document on security guarantees.

Though the two countries said that they have made progress on the terms of the deal, Kyiv remained sceptical of Russia as this could buy it more time to regroup its forces and resume its invasion.
A report in AFP said that Ukraine has rejected the proposals put forward by Russia.
The agency quoted a Ukrainian negotiator stressing that the country was at war with Russia and called on Ukraine’s allies to underwrite its security.
Even should a deal be struck, there’s no assurance it would hold: Russia, many critics say, has gravely violated international law and its own commitments by invading Ukraine in the first place.
In the view of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the West has breached what he considered its obligation not to expand NATO into Eastern Europe.

On the other hand, Putin showed no sign of compromise adding that Moscow would achieve all of its war aims in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russia had said neutrality proposals along the lines of Sweden or Austria were being discussed in talks with Ukraine while indicating it could be a compromise.
Kremlin’s lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsk had said the talks were “slow and difficult” and that Russia wanted peace “as soon as possible.”
The report also quoted a Russian source saying that if both the parties accept the proposed settlement, then both the two sides could declare victory in the war.
“Every side needs a win,” the Russian source reportedly said.
“He needs to be able to sell it to the people.
Putin can say that we wanted to stop Ukraine joining NATO and putting foreign bases and missiles in its territory. If they do that, he can say, ‘I got it,” he added.

It’s about not picking sides, keeping out of binding alliances, and trying to stay out of conflict — but even supposedly “neutral” nations have their limits.
European countries often mentioned when the concept of neutrality comes up are Switzerland — which like Austria has codified neutrality into its constitution — as well as Sweden, Finland, Ireland and, once upon a time, Belgium, which is today the home of NATO.

Switzerland has generally resonated as the leading emblem of neutrality.
The Swiss have shunned alliances, refused to join the European Union, acted as an intermediary between opposing countries, and only joined the United Nations 20 years ago _ even though it has hosted the UN’s European headquarters for decades.
But the Swiss lined up with European Union sanctions against Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
Other countries too have strayed from neutrality in the strictest sense: Swedish forces are taking part in NATO’s winter-weather exercises in neighbouring Norway; Finland has long resisted joining NATO, but Moscow’s actions in Ukraine have been changing the dynamic.
Some countries — particularly those close to Russia in Central and Eastern Europe — have gravitated close to NATO and become members, and eschewed neutrality out of concern it would convey weakness and vulnerability, and that Moscow could seize on that.

Enshrining the “neutrality” of Ukraine into any deal could help diminish the military threat that Russia perceives from it, especially as a possible NATO member.
Ukraine insists it has no hostile intent toward Russia, but has been sidling up to the alliance to ensure its security.

Q) What is the longest river in Europe?
A) Danube
B) Dnieper
C) Ural
D) Volga