If we believe that peace in Ukraine is possible, we have to ask what it would look like.
What could a negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia be?
Negotiating with a country that has attacked you is so far away from ideal. But every war ends with a settlement. To ask what that settlement could entail is not disrespecting the suffering that the Ukrainian people have experienced; it comes from a desire for that suffering to end.
So what could peace look like?
To answer that, so many factors have to be discussed, and this is exactly what I have for you in my video recommendation.
In just one hour, Anatol Lieven from The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft addresses so much: among other things, these are the concept of neutrality, Ukraine’s position towards NATO and the EU, what Russia seems not to be demanding anymore, and what a new order in the region might emerge if a settlement is reached.
Lieven’s interview is rich in historic context and generous in drawing parallels between Ukraine and other regions. Finland, Cyprus, Afghanistan (from which Lieven himself was reporting), and other places are mentioned here.
If you’re looking for a conversation that embraces nuances and denounces war-mongering, this is it.
I hope you watch it and share it with your friends.
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