The war between Russia and Ukraine has been raging for 23 days, and the number of casualties on both sides has continued to increase. It also affects the situation in European countries. Many countries have participated in the form of military aid, financial aid or mediation, hoping to stop the war as soon as possible.
In this regard, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the afternoon of the 17th, clearly proposing the terms of the peace agreement for the truce, and in order to reach an agreement, he will negotiate face-to-face with Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to the BBC, Ibrahim Kalin, Erdan’s chief adviser and spokesman, said in an interview that the two leaders had been on the phone for about half an hour, and Putin proposed the exact conditions for a ceasefire, which can be divided into two categories. The first category consists of four conditions, maintaining neutrality for Ukraine, not applying for NATO membership, disarming to ensure that it does not pose a threat to Russia, protecting the use of Russian in Ukraine, and de-Nazification.
The second category, Kalin believes, may be more difficult to reach an agreement, including issues involving the status of Donbas and Crimea in eastern Ukraine. Although Kalin did not give details, it is likely that Russia will ask the Ukrainian government to give up the above-mentioned Ukrainian territory, which will also cause huge controversy. That’s why Putin said on the phone that he would need face-to-face talks with Zelensky before reaching an agreement on these issues.
In addition, on Russia sanctions, a new bill was passed in the House of Representatives in the United States yesterday.
According to CNN, the US House of Representatives voted on the 17th to pass the “Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act” (The Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act), seeking to end normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus. The bill ultimately passed the House of Representatives with 424 votes in favor and 8 against, and will be sent to the Senate for a vote. The Senate already has a supporting bill with bipartisan support.
Once the bill is passed by the Senate, the United States will formally end the “most-favored-nation” (MFN) status of Russia and Belarus. By then, imports from both countries will face steep tariffs.
One of the bill sponsors, House Republican Kevin Brady (Kevin Brady), said products that would face additional tariffs, including non-energy products such as aluminum, seafood, lumber and chemical products including fertilizers, are all under consideration.