Putin's demands to Ukraine underscore a position the West has always suspected: no compromise

Its work besides suggests that Western quality agencies are close successful their content that Putin is not funny successful compromise. The memorandum codifies what Putin has been saying each on — that the “root causes” of the war are NATO’s eastward enlargement and fomenting Nazism successful Ukraine.

The memorandum is “aimed astatine getting escaped of the basal causes of this conflict,” Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists Tuesday. “It would beryllium incorrect to expect immoderate contiguous decisions and a breakthrough here,” helium said, adding that “we await the absorption to the memorandum” from Ukraine.

Ukraine and its Western supporters accidental Russian claims of Nazism are absurd, peculiarly erstwhile the state is governed by Zelenskyy, who is Jewish. NATO and its backers contend that the confederation has lone grown due to the fact that erstwhile Soviet republics, specified arsenic Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, person voted to articulation successful the anticipation of gaining extortion from Russia.

Not lone is Ukraine improbable to judge Russia’s absolutist terms, scholars antecedently interviewed by NBC News judge that Russia knows they won’t. Many spot the bid talks arsenic a charade that some sides cognize volition fail, lone prolonged to debar the ire and impatience of President Donald Trump.

Former-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev — always a hawkish voice — was unabashed successful however helium views these discussions astatine the lavish Ottoman-era Çırağan Palace.

“The negotiations successful Istanbul are not needed for a compromise bid connected unrealistic conditions invented by idiosyncratic else,” Medvedev, present lawman president of Russia’s Security Council wrote connected the messaging app Telegram. Rather, helium said the purpose was “quick triumph and the implicit demolition of the neo-Nazi government.” He said this extremity was “the constituent of the Russian memorandum, which was published yesterday.”

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov aft the 2nd circular of bid talks successful Istanbul connected Monday.Chris McGrath / Getty Images

All the portion Russia, dissimilar Ukraine’s attacks connected subject targets, continues to bombard Ukrainian civilians. On Tuesday it “brutally attacked” the embattled metropolis of Sumy, Zelenskyy said, sidesplitting astatine slightest 3 radical and injuring “many” more.

With some sides inactive diametrically opposed, Trump’s adjacent determination could beryllium pivotal.

Having erstwhile promised to extremity the warfare successful 24 hours, helium has go truthful frustrated with the intractable world that helium has threatened to locomotion away.

There are hopes of another Russian-American captive swap and adjacent a gathering betwixt the 2 presidents. And erstwhile the memorandum inevitably comes crossed Trump’s desk, and helium is asked astir it during 1 of his question-and-answer sessions successful the Oval Office, the president could respond successful respective antithetic ways, according to Nixey, the Russia adept successful London.

“Either helium volition say, ‘Yes, but look astatine what the Ukrainians person done to Russia, truthful this memorandum is unsurprising,” Nixey said. “Or helium volition say, ‘Putin is not playing ball. This hasn’t turned retired similar I thought it would. I’m washing my hands of the full thing.”

Keir Simmons reported from Dubai and Alexander Smith reported from London.