[Bruce Campbells Chin]

I actually don't think it's possible to come up with a long-term settlement that lasts based solely on mutual agreement. After all, there was mutual agreement in both 1991 and 1994 that Ukraine was independent, and with its own legal borders. Russia was perfectly fine with it then, and even congratulated Ukraine in its independence.

But then Russia got a different leader who decided that all of Ukraine is really Russia. How do we prevent another Russian leader coming down the like in 20 years and rejecting whatever deal is negotiated now?

I think that for any deal to truly lead to permanent peace, it has to be backed by security guarantees, end eventually NATO membership.

[dfwgator]

My proposal was to break off Western Ukraine, the part that traditionally belonged to Austria Hungary, and allow them to join NATO, while declaring the rest of Ukraine as neutral, not unlike the agreement that is still in place with regards to Austria.