On March 17, Emma Ashford appeared on NPR’s Background Briefing with Ian Masters to discuss the prospects for peace in Ukraine.
“I think we are in a better place than we have been…for the past few weeks in terms of the potential for the ceasefire or a peace deal. The Ukrainians say the Russians are now more realistic in their demands, both sides appear to be talking about specifics rather than generalities. And that is…a very good development, but we should also be cautious. I’ll give two caveats here: one is that the question of neutrality is almost the easiest issue to resolve, and there are some very thorny issues, including what territory Ukraine might be willing to give up to Russia, including Crimea and the eastern territories in eastern Ukraine. And then there’s the question of whether Russia is truly serious about a ceasefire or a peace deal for the long term, or if this is an opportunity for Russia to resupply, rearm, and collect its forces. I’m pleased with the progress we’ve seen, but I do think we should be cautious in viewing this as necessarily an offramp opening.”
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