MOSCOW, September 4 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin’s peace plan for resolving the crisis in eastern Ukraine could stop the West from imposing a new wave of economic sanctions against Moscow, The New York Times reported.
“Mr. Putin’s peace plan, jotted out during a plane ride over Siberia, muddied the diplomatic waters, leaving the West an excuse for delaying punitive sanctions that would also hurt European economies on the verge of a new recession,” the article published by the newspaper Wednesday reads.
Putin’s project to bring stability to the region could influence Ukrainians tired of the military operation in the country’s east, according to the newspaper.
“Many Ukrainians, horrified by the mounting toll of more than 2,600 dead and uneasy about the economic costs for a country already on the edge of bankruptcy, want an end to the violence. Winter is approaching, and the other confrontation with Russia, over gas sales, seems unlikely to be resolved while fighting rages in the east,” the newspaper reported.
On Wednesday, Russian president told the press he drafted a seven-point plan on the settlement of crisis in eastern Ukraine following talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko. In particular, Putin suggested halting offensive operations from both sides of the conflict, moving the Ukrainian military away from the country’s eastern regions, making artillery strikes impossible and exchanging all captives. Organizing humanitarian routes in eastern Ukraine and setting up “full-fledged and objective international control over the compliance of the ceasefire and monitoring the situation,” were also among Putin’s proposals.
The West has introduced several rounds of economic sanctions against Russia, accusing it of meddling in the Ukrainian crisis and even of direct military involvement. Moscow has denied all the accusations, with Putin stressing than Russia “will in no way interfere” in Ukraine’s regional affairs. Earlier this week, Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini, appointed the next EU foreign policy chief, claimed Brussels would decide on further restrictions against Russia on Friday.
