Putin has been trying to de-escalate since 2014. He advised Donetsk and Luhansk AGAINST having the original referendums to be autonomous regions within Ukraine, not even independent republics. He was agreeable to Yanukovitch's plan to have an election in 90 days consulting with Obama if he agreed and if it was acceptable to the Americans...Obama said yes.
He supported Minsk 1, 2 and the Normandy Format talks. He was prepared to negotiate before February 16th (when Kiev broke the ceasefire and started heavy shelling of the region. He was prepared to negotiate even after the SMO started. He was prepared to sign an agreement in April. The Russians Valentina Matviyenko (3rd most powerful Russian official in the Kremlin) said a couple of days ago Russia is still open and prepared for talks.
And another thing, Russia did not 'invade' Ukraine. They were invited, by the new republics, to help stop the imminent wholesale slaughter of the people in their regions (which, in accordance with international law is correct; Putin has a lawyer's training and mind).
If you doubt Kiev's intentions just look at the statements made by Ukraine nationalists prior to Kiev's unprovoked attack on the Donbas as far back as 2014. Statements regarding what they thought of the Russian speakers in these areas (terrorists, they actually called their war on the Donbas an ATO) along with the openly racist government policies forced through the Rada at literal gunpoint by the Nazis, the mass arming and training by NATO forces of Nazi militias (deemed terrorist organizations by Obama's administration) After the burning alive of over 50 Russian speakers in Odessa, Russians take these threats very seriously (The Ukrainian SS had a penchant for burning Russians alive...history repeating)
The modern UPA/OUM counterparts (Pravii Sektor and Azov) made open death threats to any Ukrainian leader who tries to implement Minsk...this along with the repeated threat to put nukes in Poland, NATO in Ukraine and Zelensky's threats to put his own nukes in Ukraine; yes, Ukrainians know how and they have the Uranium to do it..(He did this at Munich Security Conference earlier in the year before this phase of the conflict) there was absolutely no option left to Russia but intervene in a measured limited way (Special Military Operation is actually a thing, look it up on Wiki).
But now because negotiation is not open to the Kremlin; they have been lied to and cheated so many times over Minsk (Germany and France refusing to act on their role as guarantors), Washington's refusal to engage (not one call from Washington to the Kremlin in the first months of the war. Unheard of behaviour in the such circumstances) The UK doing everything to stymie agreement and end the war (Johnson flying to Kiev to stop Zelensky signing the April agreement). And now on top of that Zelensky yesterday asking for pre-emptive nuke strikes on Russia. (although Rada officials walked it back later) where to go for the kremlin?. 'Invasion'? If Russia declared war with Ukraine, celebrities and the political psychophants of Europe would not be taking the luxury train to Kiev from Poland. There would be no train, no railway and probably no Kiev.
Putin has been trying to de-escalate since 2014. He advised Donetsk and Luhansk AGAINST having the original referendums to be autonomous regions within Ukraine, not even independent republics. He was agreeable to Yanukovitch's plan to have an election in 90 days consulting with Obama if he agreed and if it was acceptable to the Americans...Obama said yes.
He supported Minsk 1, 2 and the Normandy Format talks. He was prepared to negotiate before February 16th (when Kiev broke the ceasefire and started heavy shelling of the region. He was prepared to negotiate even after the SMO started. He was prepared to sign an agreement in April. The Russians Valentina Matviyenko (3rd most powerful Russian official in the Kremlin) said a couple of days ago Russia is still open and prepared for talks.
And another thing, Russia did not 'invade' Ukraine. They were invited, by the new republics, to help stop the imminent wholesale slaughter of the people in their regions (which, in accordance with international law is correct; Putin has a lawyer's training and mind).
If you doubt Kiev's intentions just look at the statements made by Ukraine nationalists prior to Kiev's unprovoked attack on the Donbas as far back as 2014. Statements regarding what they thought of the Russian speakers in these areas (terrorists, they actually called their war on the Donbas an ATO) along with the openly racist government policies forced through the Rada at literal gunpoint by the Nazis, the mass arming and training by NATO forces of Nazi militias (deemed terrorist organizations by Obama's administration) After the burning alive of over 50 Russian speakers in Odessa, Russians take these threats very seriously (The Ukrainian SS had a penchant for burning Russians alive...history repeating)
The modern UPA/OUM counterparts (Pravii Sektor and Azov) made open death threats to any Ukrainian leader who tries to implement Minsk...this along with the repeated threat to put nukes in Poland, NATO in Ukraine and Zelensky's threats to put his own nukes in Ukraine; yes, Ukrainians know how and they have the Uranium to do it..(He did this at Munich Security Conference earlier in the year before this phase of the conflict) there was absolutely no option left to Russia but intervene in a measured limited way (Special Military Operation is actually a thing, look it up on Wiki).
But now because negotiation is not open to the Kremlin; they have been lied to and cheated so many times over Minsk (Germany and France refusing to act on their role as guarantors), Washington's refusal to engage (not one call from Washington to the Kremlin in the first months of the war. Unheard of behaviour in the such circumstances) The UK doing everything to stymie agreement and end the war (Johnson flying to Kiev to stop Zelensky signing the April agreement). And now on top of that Zelensky yesterday asking for pre-emptive nuke strikes on Russia. (although Rada officials walked it back later) where to go for the kremlin?. 'Invasion'? If Russia declared war with Ukraine, celebrities and the political psychophants of Europe would not be taking the luxury train to Kiev from Poland. There would be no train, no railway and probably no Kiev.