According to a report by The New York Times, negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have yielded a 14-page draft document outlining provisions for the end of hostilities and the withdrawal of Russian troops. This agreement is expected to be implemented by President Vladimir V. Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in a meeting soon. The draft document includes provisions for the demobilization of troops, the withdrawal of forces and Russian-backed separatists from eastern Ukraine, as well as the creation of a transitional governing body to oversee elections and constitutional reforms. However, the document reportedly does not address the status of Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as the issue is still a major point of contention between the two nations. The negotiations have been ongoing for several weeks, with some officers from both sides meeting in the Belarussian capital, Minsk, on February 17. The agreement could bring an end to the five-year conflict that has claimed more than 13,000 lives. The New York Times report can be accessed at: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/world/europe/russia-ukraine-peace-explained.html.
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