**Putin’s Conditions for Ceasefire Make No Sense**
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, but his conditions are being met with skepticism by Ukrainian officials and experts.
According to Putin, the ceasefire would require Ukraine to stop mobilization and training of its military forces and refrain from receiving Western military aid. He also claimed that Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk Oblast were surrounded and would be blockaded unless they surrendered.
However, these conditions are seen as unreasonable by many experts. “Of course, Ukraine won’t put limits on its own military forces,” said Stefan Wolff, professor of international security at the University of Birmingham. “That would be suicidal.”
Ukraine’s General Staff has denied Trump’s claim that Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast were surrounded.
Experts say that Putin’s real goal is to weaken Ukraine and deprive it of Western military support. “Putin wants a weak Ukraine that is unable to defend itself,” said Wolff.
The Ukrainian leadership has expressed its readiness to accept a ceasefire despite the risks, but not under conditions imposed by Russia. Volodymyr Ariev, a member of parliament from the opposition European Solidarity party, suggested that Kyiv could put forward counter-demands, such as requiring Russia to stop transporting military equipment to Ukraine.
Monitoring a ceasefire would be crucial for its success, but the Kremlin has rejected the deployment of Western peacekeepers. “Putin’s statement on the ceasefire proposal does not suggest readiness for peace,” said Renz.
The international community is watching the situation closely, and many experts believe that Putin’s conditions are an attempt to gain leverage in the negotiations.