Report: Putin Prepared to 'Freeze' War on Current Battlefield Lines

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The Facts

  • Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin is prepared to end the war in Ukraine with a negotiated settlement that recognizes current frontlines, four highly placed Russian sources told the Reuters news agency this week.

  • According to the report published Friday, three of the sources said the Russian leader had expressed frustration over what he described as the West's attempts to impede negotiations, as well as Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to rule out the prospect of talks.


The Spin

Pro-Ukraine narrative

These phony signals from Putin's entourage should be ignored by the West. Putin simply plans to derail the Ukrainian Peace Summit that will be held in Switzerland on June 15-16. This is the only realistic pathway for peace in Ukraine, and Putin is scared of it being successful.

Pro-Russia narrative

Whatever comes out of the Ukrainian Peace Summit is null and void. How can you try to have a negotiated settlement to the war with only one side of the conflict? If Ukraine is real about bringing the war to an end, it must negotiate with Russia.


Metaculus Prediction


Establishment split

CRITICAL

PRO

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