On the eve of the G20 summit, which will be President Joe Biden's last, the US decided to authorize attacks ATCAMS missiles deep into Russian territory. This is intended to help strengthen the position of Volodymyr Zelensky before Donald Trump takes office, he writes Bloomberg.
Erdogan has a plan to “freeze” the war in Ukraine
Bloomberg also reports that during the summit in Rio de Janeiro, the Turkish president is expected to come up with an idea on how to “freeze” the war in Ukraine. Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to propose that Volodymyr Zelensky agree to postpone talks on Ukraine's accession to NATO for at least 10 years. “The Turkish proposal envisages the creation of a demilitarized zone in eastern Donbas in Ukraine, where Russia has controlled large swathes of territory since 2014,” we read.
Erdogan will suggest that international troops could be deployed there as an additional security guarantee. Ukraine would be provided with supplies of military equipment as compensation for agreeing to remain outside NATO.
Turkish officials: The most realistic approach
Turkish officials admit that such a proposal will be difficult for Ukraine to accept, but they believe that “it is the most realistic approach.” The Turkish side would like to “postpone discussions on the long-term fate of the occupied territories and focus first on ensuring a stable ceasefire.” “The general formula may appeal to some of Kiev's allies who fear that Ukraine's full membership in NATO could entail the risk of direct conflict with the Kremlin,” Bloomberg says. The Turkish president hopes that he will be able to convince Zelensky to take part in the peace talks in Istanbul. Erdogan has reportedly reviewed intelligence that suggests Ukraine could lose much more territory in the next few months if the fighting continues.