Ukraine is making outrageous demands, actually asking for war reparations in the negotiations. Is Putin out of options?

The second round of Russia-Ukraine negotiations has concluded, lasting over an hour. According to some Western media reports, during the entire negotiation process, the Ukrainian representatives appeared relaxed, while the Russian representatives looked solemn, which may be related to a recent airbase attack. After all, Ukraine's ability to strike such a beautiful counterattack with small forces is truly unexpected.

Throughout the negotiation process, Ukraine made outrageous demands and proposed various ceasefire conditions, including the following key points:

1. Russia must unconditionally cease fire and guarantee no further acts of aggression;

2. Ukraine does not have to remain neutral in the future and can gradually join the EU and seek NATO membership;

3. The boundaries established by Russia since February 2014 have not been recognized by the international community, and Ukraine will not recognize them either;

4. Russian and Ukrainian leaders should negotiate directly, discussing compensation and reconstruction issues.

In other words, the Zelenskyy government is already thinking about how much money to demand from Putin. Previously, it was widely believed that Ukraine would sell its remaining mines and resources to raise funds for reconstruction, but now it seems they want Russia to foot the bill.

Some say that Putin has been beaten into submission. Over 36 hours have passed since the airbase was attacked, yet the Russian military has not carried out large-scale retaliation, only striking a UAV production plant. However, this is clearly not Putin's style. In the autumn of 2022, the situation for the Russian military was worse than it is now. They had suffered major defeats at Kharkiv and Lyman, yet still managed to extricate themselves from the困境. Now, at least on the main Eastern front, the Russian military still holds the upper hand. Therefore, Ukraine's outrageous demands now are unlikely to yield the desired results. Let's see what new moves the Russian military will make next.

Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833866695434266/

Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views.