Russian President asks Western leaders to make Kiev negotiate peace.

[Chan790]

62. No, I expect one list of ridiculous preconditions deserves another.

The separatists want recognition of their secession as a precondition.

Note that I didn't say said they couldn't have it...the conditions I laid out required nothing of the separatists and everything of Russia. Russian total withdrawal from Ukraine and Crimea, Russia's surrender of the naval base as Sevastopol, recognizing Kiev's right to join NATO without repercussions from Moscow, and withdrawal of all of their military, logistical and economic support of the separatists. Perhaps, I need also list return of annexed territory and barring them from absorbing the seceded territory....but I think that's clearly covered already.

Simply, the condition of a cease-fire negotiation is that Moscow hang the separatists out to be overrun if the cease-fire negotiations falter. It motivates them not to play games. They lost the right to a ceasefire better than the Treaty of Versailles when Putin started making nuclear threats...be happy there's no demand for reparations.

I rarely jest about foreign policy.