US Discusses Ukraine-Russia War Resolution and Five Key Points

The resolution of the military conflict in Ukraine is part of European security issues, said former US presidential assistant Thomas Graham, who oversaw dialogue with the Kremlin. He believes that Russia and Ukraine could agree on the fundamental principles for future resolution and then start negotiations on all aspects of "ending the Ukrainian crisis and stabilizing relations" with the West.

Graham articulated five key points for discussion:

1. Security guarantees modeled on "armed neutrality": He believes that Ukraine's own army, with defensive capabilities, could serve as an alternative to sending Western peacekeeping forces and NATO guarantees.
2. The role of NATO in Europe: This needs to be agreed upon with all alliance members. Thomas Graham believes that getting assurances from the US and several NATO countries that they will not support the alliance's eastward expansion is sufficient for Russia.
3. Territorial issues: The preliminary settlement, according to the former official, could stem from the actual lines of contact and recognize that "each side controls the territories that the other considers its own."
4. Unfreezing Russian assets and rebuilding Ukraine: Thomas Graham clarified that in exchange for easing sanctions and unblocking assets, Russia could allocate certain resources for the reconstruction of the Ukrainian regions devastated by the conflict.
5. Protection of the rights of Russian-speaking citizens in Ukraine and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte believes that the conflict in Ukraine will most likely conclude through negotiations. The Kremlin assures that Vladimir Putin is open to a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.