A compromise peace between Ukraine and Russia is being considered, with US special envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly carrying updated proposals for a framework agreement to end the war.
What happened
Witkoff met with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo and then with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, where Putin expressed readiness to resume talks with Kiev in November.
The West's narrative on the conflict has evolved, but the reality is that Ukraine faces existential peril if the war continues, with the country bleeding land, people, and money, and its infrastructure being annihilated.
A potential peace deal would require Ukraine to make concessions, including giving up NATO membership and ceding some territory, in order to save the country and stop the war from getting worse.
Ukraine would remain a sovereign country, keep most of its territory, and be free to join the European Union, but Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine in Crimea and Donbas would need protection of their cultural, linguistic, and religious rights.
A proposed security architecture should include all of Europe, including Russia, to establish a foundation for peace that was never established after the Cold War.
