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Nearly five years have passed since the start of the dramatic events of the Maidan in Kiev that engendered a profound crisis in Russia’s relations with both Ukraine and the West. This is not a short period of time: World War I lasted a little over four ... ... abandon its course for a liberal market economy. The Minsk agreements are, for the most part, not being implemented. People in Donbass continue to die, but there is no major military escalation in the east of Ukraine: the Donbass militia did not attempt ...
Washington is resolved to damaging Russia under Putin as much as it can. But Russia doesn't have to take a hard line
This year is the beginning of a new cycle ... ... relationship with Russia more predictable, if not more friendly. With that in mind, Russia could take steps to promote peace in the Donbass via the United Nations peacekeeping operation, for example.
Andrey Kortunov:
Will Donbass Live to See the UN Peacekeepers?...
... significance of this issue is obvious to Moscow as well, it is difficult to imagine a situation in which Russia would agree to have its current legal status in the conflict changed. Such a concession would entail a significant revision of the official Russian narrative with regard to the Ukrainian crisis (“the conflict in Donbass is a civil war situation in Ukraine”), as well as a rejection of Russia’s primary achievement in the Minsk II Agreement.
At present, Moscow’s position looks stronger than that of Kiev: neither Europe nor the United States is prepared to ...