WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Former US Army officer David Pyne has proposed a way to end the Ukraine conflict, outlining a fifteen-point peace plan, which includes recognizing Crimea as part of Russia, in an article published by The National Interest.
Pyne accused the Western media of false reporting and stressed that, contrary to media claims, Russia is making incremental progress in Ukraine.
According to Pyne, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, and Israel could mediate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, consisting of fifteen "terms most likely to be agreeable to both sides."
The terms of the agreement, as outlined by Pyne in the article published on Saturday, would be Ukraine becoming permanently neutral, although Russia would support Ukraine’s application to join the EU. Kiev would need to suspend all NATO ties, reduce ground forces and destroy all of its "strike systems." Ukraine would also be prohibited from developing weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons.
Kiev would need to recognize Crimea’s reunification with Russia, and all sanctions imposed on Russia in relation to its special military operation would need to be lifted. Diplomatic relations would be restored and "any public and private Russian financial and economic assets that were seized will be returned to their owners."
Russia would need to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, except the Donbas region, where a referendum would be held to decide on possible independence. Ukraine would need to make Russian one of its official languages regardless of the outcome of the referendum.
All prisoners of war would be returned to their respective countries and there would be no reparations issued by either side. The US and the EU would help Ukraine with reconstruction.
The US and NATO would need to provide written guarantees that NATO will never expand eastward and Russia and NATO would "agree to commence discussions to include Russia in the security architecture of Europe."
Pyne emphasized that the longer the delay in negotiating a peace agreement, the weaker Kiev's negotiating position will be.
Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, after the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. Russia said that the aim of its special operation is to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine.
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the goal is to protect the people of Donbas, "who have been subjected to abuse, genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years."
In response to Russia’s operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.
