Putin demands one crucial thing as condition for any ceasefire deal to end war in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin insists that Ukraine must never join NATO as a condition for any ceasefire deal. The world continues to push for an end to the war, but Russia has set strict demands. 

Putin has made it clear that Russia will not agree to a ceasefire unless Ukraine is permanently banned from joining NATO. The United States is trying to negotiate a temporary 30-day ceasefire, but former US President Donald Trump recently warned that Ukraine “may not survive” if it refuses to comply. 

However, Moscow has rejected this plan. Putin was recently seen visiting troops in the Russian city of Kursk, wearing military gear. Russia currently controls nearly one-fifth of Ukraine and has refused to hold peace talks with Kyiv. 

New reports reveal that progress in negotiations is unlikely unless Ukraine agrees not to join NATO. Russia is also demanding that the world recognize its control over Crimea and four Ukrainian regions, as well as a promise that no foreign troops will be stationed in Ukraine. 

NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was founded in 1949 to prevent Soviet expansion in Europe. The alliance has a rule that if one member is attacked, all other members must defend it. NATO does not have its own army but relies on military support from its member countries. 

The alliance started with 12 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, and France. Today, it has 32 members, including several Eastern European nations like Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states. 

Ukraine has wanted to join NATO for many years, but Russia strongly opposes this. In 2008, NATO suggested that Ukraine could become a member in the future, which angered Russia. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed for faster membership. However, NATO told him that Ukraine could only join after the war ended. 

Zelensky has even said he is willing to give up his presidency if it helps Ukraine become a NATO member. “If stepping down as president would bring peace and get Ukraine into NATO, I am ready,” he stated. 

Earlier this year, Trump urged NATO members to spend at least 5% of their national income on defense, arguing that they could afford it. Meanwhile, NATO’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte has been asking members to increase their military budgets. 

This week, the US agreed to resume sending weapons and intelligence support to Ukraine after Kyiv signaled it was open to a ceasefire. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hopes for a peace deal soon. “In a few days, we want to see no rockets, no missiles, no bullets—just talking,” he said. 

However, Putin’s recent appearance in military uniform in the Kursk region, near Crimea, has raised concerns about whether peace talks will happen soon. 

Putin also stirred more controversy by saying that captured Ukrainian soldiers should be treated as “terrorists” under Russian law. 

The Kremlin has rejected suggestions of European peacekeepers being sent to Ukraine after a peace deal, arguing that it would put the country under “Western influence.”