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In a recent push of back-channel diplomacy, Russian President Vlad Putin has been sending a message: He is ready to make a deal for a Ukraine ceasefire. The New York Times made the report yesterday, saying that he’s been signaling through intermediaries since at least Sept that he is open to a cease-fire that freeze the fighting along the current lines.
They cite “two former senior Russian officials close to the Kremlin and American and international officials” who have received the message.
The report also says that some American officials say it could be a Kremlin attempt at
misdirection and a Kremlin official said the reporting is incorrect. One timeline to be aware of is the March Russian election, as Putin may want a deal beforehand.
Whenever I see a report like this, I wonder who leaked it and why. The days of real ‘journalism’ of long over and anything like this is planted by someone, for some reason. After reading this report, I wonder if a message is being sent to Kyiv.