Storella Examines Implications of Russia-Ukraine Negotiations
Professor Mark C. Storella was quoted in a Newsweek report titled “Zelensky’s Red Line for Putin Peace Talks” by Andrew Stanton. The article explored the stakes involved in potential Ukraine-Russia negotiations, drawing insights from foreign policy experts to understand what leverage Volodymyr Zelenskyy might have in the resulting peace talks.
The article looked at multiple outcomes of the proposed concessions on territory, security guarantees, sovereignty issues, and domestic constraints that the Ukraine’s leader would possibly confront. Professor Storella explained that Russia is attempting to secure a peace deal that aligns with Putin’s ambitious political agenda, primarily focusing on control over key regions of Ukraine.
“The fundamental issue everyone is wrestling with is whether Putin wants peace on any terms short of his maximalist demands to swallow big chunks of Ukraine territory and turn Ukraine into a vassal state of Russia,” said Professor Storella. “Unless Russia is losing on the battlefield or its economy is crumbling, Russia will accept peace only if it gets Putin’s demands or if Putin sees it as a step toward eventual complete capitulation by Ukraine over time.”
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Mark C. Storella is the professor of the practice of diplomacy at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies. He served as a United States Foreign Service Officer for more than three decades. Besides being the ambassador to Zambia, he was a deputy assistant secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration and dean of the Leadership and Management School of the Foreign Service Institute. Storella has several honors and awards to his name, including the Presidential Rank Award and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Excellence in Service Award. To learn more about his work and accomplishments, visit his faculty profile.