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Putin “Not Ready to Move an Inch,” NATO Officials Say as Allies Prepare Plan B for Ukraine
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European NATO allies welcome US efforts to bring Russia’s war against Ukraine to an end but remain unsure whether the initiative can succeed, largely due to Moscow’s entrenched position. Eight diplomats from NATO member states told Radio Svoboda on December 2 this on condition of anonymity.
“We do not yet have the impression that the Russian president is ready to play a constructive role in the negotiations—quite the opposite. He has intensified bombardments of Ukraine’s civilian sites and energy infrastructure in unprecedented ways,” one NATO official said.
Another diplomat described the current stage of diplomacy as critical, noting that “things are moving like in a pressure cooker.” Whether the intensity of the process will meet expectations, they said, should become clearer once US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff returns from Moscow, where he is meeting Vladimir Putin on December 2.
According to NATO diplomats, Putin will likely be presented with a revised peace proposal that is “unrecognizable” compared with the original 28-point plan.
“Europe is not in the negotiation room, but European views are present at the table,” one diplomat emphasized.
The most difficult elements of any potential deal, officials said, remain territorial questions and security guarantees for Ukraine.
“For a future peace to be just and lasting, any agreement must ultimately be aligned, first and foremost, with our Ukrainian friends,” another Alliance official told Radio Svoboda.
One NATO official warned that it is entirely possible Putin “will not move an inch.”
“This will not be because Ukraine was not ready for compromise—they are. It will also not be because the United States lacked effort—they are putting in a great deal. The only reason for failure will be Russia’s intransigence… The only result the Russians appear ready to accept is Ukraine’s full capitulation,” the diplomat said.
If the current diplomatic push fails, European partners are prepared to shift to alternative steps.
“Plan B for us is quite simple. It is increasing support for Ukraine, more weapons for Ukraine on the battlefield, greater support for their economy, and strengthening sanctions against Russia,” one diplomat explained.
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Regardless of how the war ends, most NATO allies will continue to view Russia as a long-term security threat.
“Russia will be able to realize some of its ambitions more quickly after the war. For example, building up (ground forces) in the Northwest… This will happen faster after the war… It is more a question of ensuring that we expand our forces and develop the necessary industrial capacity quickly enough so that we are prepared, above all, for deterrence,” another diplomat concluded.
Earlier, Russian leader Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow is prepared to go to war with European nations if they initiate hostilities, marking a sharp escalation in rhetoric amid ongoing negotiations over a potential US-brokered peace plan for Ukraine.
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