“The best way to keep them alive is to negotiate a peace. Ukraine cannot win this war. The best outcome would be a status quo ante bellum.”
Agree: Russia withdraws to pre-2014 status.
Agree: Russia withdraws to pre-2014 status.
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So the Ukies can start shelling the ethnic Russians in the Donbass provinces all over again? The Donbass declared their Independence from Ukraine in 2014/15,
a major factor in this regional conflict.
Russia will never give up Crimea. When they annexed it in 2014 after the US/EU engineered coup, the Russians took over Crimea virtually without firing a shot. Almost 90% of the voters favored rejoining Russia in a plebiscite. Given the importance of Crimea to Russia's security, i.e., the headquarters of its Black Sea naval forces, Russia will not relinquish it. Non-negotiable.