Why Will a Russia-Ukraine Agreement Be Tough to Achieve?

According to Francis Fukuyama, a senior scholar at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute, finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine would be difficult unless the reality on the ground improves.

“Both parties have suffered tremendous losses,” he added. He argued that anything less than Russia’s departure to pre-war territory would be hard for Ukraine to accept. “He’s effectively handing over Ukrainian land to Russian invaders,” he continued.

Looking Forward to A Neutrality Pact

On the other hand, Russia has refused to relinquish any territorial gains since the conflict in Ukraine began. “They started the battle and are now facing struggle, countless casualties, and a considerable number of murders on their hands, and all that for nothing in the end,” he added. Apart from the territorial dispute, Russia has stated that it wants Ukraine to sign a neutrality pact. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that he is willing to do it. Zelenskyy also stated that he was eager to work with Russia on the Donbas, a disputed territory in Ukraine’s east.

While Fukuyama stated he couldn’t foretell how the conflict would end, he did say Russia had already been beaten north of Kyiv. “They say they’re merely reorganizing,” he added, “but make no mistake, the Ukrainians annihilated a quarter to a third of that enormous army.” Fukuyama is “more positive” about Ukraine’s chances of winning the conflict since its morale is higher. “The Russians have given up fighting and abandoned their vehicles.”

“They don’t understand why they’re fighting,” he remarked; He added that Russia’s automobiles aren’t working well due to corruption.

On the other side, “tens of thousands” of Ukrainians have returned home to defend their homeland.