Putin Lays out Latest Demands for Cease-Fire — But Is He in a Position to Demand Anything From Anybody? – Opinion

This was never intended. Vladimir Putin, the Russian dictator, thought otherwise.

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine entering its fourth week, as my colleague Steiff reported on Thursday, Putin delivered a speech to the Russian people that at times sounded confident and reassuring, other times desperate and suspicious of his own people — even to the extent of threatening the “scum and traitors,” and a “self-cleansing to purge the bastards and traitors.” (“Uncle Joe” Stalin come to mind?)

Bottom line: Putin knows he’s in a spot.

So what’s a guy in a spot to do? For one thing, Putin on Thursday laid out his latest demands —which look a lot like his former demands —for a cease-fire during a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It begs the question: Is Putin in a position where he can demand anything or do he cause irreparable harm himself and his country?

According to BBC, on Friday, a Turkish official listening to the conversation between Putin and Erdogan said that Putin would cease his invasion provided certain conditions were met. These included a commitment by Ukraine not joining NATO but remaining neutral.

Before the breakdown of the talks between Russia and Ukraine came to an end, Putin made the following demands:

There is no NATO membership.

Russian should become the official language in Ukraine.

Recognize Crimea to be Russian territory

Recognize Donetsk’s independence and Lugansk’s.

The Kremlin is calling for the demilitarization and surrender of any weapons that might pose a danger to Ukraine.

Prohibition of ultranationalist parties or organizations [“Denazification”]Ukraine

Erdogan’s leading adviser and spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, told the BBC Putin is also asking for face-to-face negotiations with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to hammer out his demands with Zelenskyy. This is odd, given that Zelenskyy has repeatedly asked, pleaded, and demanded that Putin sit down with him “like a man” and tell the Ukrainian president what he wants — what it will take — to end the brutal invasion.

Kalin also said there were other demands Putin listed, about which he didn’t go into detail, but they likely involve pro-Russian territories in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine. Kalin “assumed” Putin will ask Ukraine to give up territory in the east and formally recognize Crimea, which Russia illegally “annexed” in 2014 as a part of Russia.

They are similar to previous demands Reports that Putin has told Ukrainian officials he will end his invasion if six major conditions are met.

As I asked the question at the top: Does Vladimir Putin have any authority to demand? Take a look at the RedState headlines of recent days.

Analysis: Risk Grows as Russian Army Told They Are Fighting ‘the USA Inside Ukraine’

Is Vladimir Putin on the Verge of Dying?

Top General in Putin’s Personal Army Is Arrested by FSB

Putin’s vision of a quick, tidy little “visit” into Ukraine in which citizens would take to the streets to welcome “liberating” Russian soldiers, Zelenskyy’s government would fold up like a cheap suit, the little dictator would install a puppet government, and all would be well did not happen.

Putin knows he is stuck in a quagmire. It begs the question: What is Putin going to do? While Vladimir Putin has been on the world stage, often front and center, for nearly a quarter-century, there’s much the outside world doesn’t know about the guy.

Does he make major decisions completely on his own or does he rely on — or even get — input from others? Does he get bad news that he doesn’t want? Does he listen to the bad news?  Finally, does he think he’s always the smartest guy in the room? Does he have the ability to make mistakes, and then change his mind? The list could continue.

Answering these questions is crucial to understanding Putin and his motivations, and also to predicting the future. It is reallyI was forced into a corner. I’m not an expert on geopolitics, Russia, Ukraine, or Vladimir Putin. However, I don’t believe that Mr. Putin has the ability to make a demand at this time. EverythingStarting at Anyone. As he continues to commit rape against Ukraine, he is made a pariah by many people around the globe.

Putin’s actions can cause more harm than good to Russia’s military and economy. He also threatens the stability of the Russian government and, most importantly, his legacy and image. Both of these things he obsesses over for many decades with a lot of delusion, unattainable visions grandiosity, and has become incredibly unpredictable. The demands continue to mount.

If the point comes when Vladimir Putin sees no possibility of declaring a win — even a “win” concocted to look like a real win —all bets are off and things just got scary as hell.