#俄罗斯不接受冻结俄乌冲突
Why does Russia flat-out refuse to accept a “freeze in the conflict”? Put simply, it’s about saving face. After all, it holds the initiative, and it has also been burned by the West too many times.
Russian leaders are now adamant about one thing: freezing the war is not peace; it merely gives Ukraine and NATO a “halftime break.” In Moscow’s eyes, the Minsk Agreements were a delaying tactic the West used to buy time and arm Ukraine. Freezing the conflict again would be like handing the enemy a window to catch its breath. The Constitution is another major obstacle. The four eastern Ukrainian regions voted to join Russia in 2022, and their incorporation has been written into the Russian Constitution. Freezing the conflict along the current lines of control would, in Russia’s domestic political context, amount to admitting that “part of our own territory is still occupied.” No one is willing to cross that red line.
On top of that, none of the goals proclaimed for the Special Military Operation have been achieved—not Ukraine’s neutrality, not its demilitarization, nor halting NATO’s eastward expansion. Freezing the war now would mean that four and a half years of fighting had been for nothing. Putin couldn’t explain that to the Russian public. Besides, Russian forces still hold the initiative on the ground, so why call a halt when they have the upper hand? That’s why Russia’s position is so blunt: either resolve everything on its terms, or keep fighting. “Freeze it for now and figure things out later” is not an option.
Why does Russia flat-out refuse to accept a “freeze in the conflict”? Put simply, it’s about saving face. After all, it holds the initiative, and it has also been burned by the West too many times.
Russian leaders are now adamant about one thing: freezing the war is not peace; it merely gives Ukraine and NATO a “halftime break.” In Moscow’s eyes, the Minsk Agreements were a delaying tactic the West used to buy time and arm Ukraine. Freezing the conflict again would be like handing the enemy a window to catch its breath. The Constitution is another major obstacle. The four eastern Ukrainian regions voted to join Russia in 2022, and their incorporation has been written into the Russian Constitution. Freezing the conflict along the current lines of control would, in Russia’s domestic political context, amount to admitting that “part of our own territory is still occupied.” No one is willing to cross that red line.
On top of that, none of the goals proclaimed for the Special Military Operation have been achieved—not Ukraine’s neutrality, not its demilitarization, nor halting NATO’s eastward expansion. Freezing the war now would mean that four and a half years of fighting had been for nothing. Putin couldn’t explain that to the Russian public. Besides, Russian forces still hold the initiative on the ground, so why call a halt when they have the upper hand? That’s why Russia’s position is so blunt: either resolve everything on its terms, or keep fighting. “Freeze it for now and figure things out later” is not an option.