Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed that Moscow and Washington should sign a peace treaty with Ukraine and move on. According to Reuters, the proposal ends Russia’s efforts to bring Kyiv into an anti-American union with the Eurasian Union.
Putin argues that the U.S. and EU have destabilized Ukraine and should take the initiative by signing a treaty with Moscow. The treaty would stop the crisis in Ukraine and end their support for Kyiv’s military actions in eastern Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden refused to cooperate with Putin, who has sought a “face-saving exit” from the conflict.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate passed a bill last week calling for more economic sanctions on Russia. Biden has expressed skepticism that sanctions will work but says he will sign the bill into law.
The U.S. and EU are preparing to impose new sanctions against members of Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, and target individuals and lawmakers. U.S. President Biden and EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels this week to discuss the details of these sanctions, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Russia has also called an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the Ukrainian crisis. Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya is expected to present arguments against sanctions and in favor of dialogue between Russia and Ukraine.
The U.S. and EU have been working together to support Kyiv with military and economic aid. The efforts have seen Russia withdraw its troops from the northern cities of Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy.
Ukrainian troops have conducted hundreds of small-scale operations but failed to win much support in eastern Ukraine, as reported by BBC News. The separatist rebels remain entrenched in populated areas and have so far proven impervious to attempts by the Ukrainians to capture their strongholds.