REVIEW: What's In It For The Russians

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Summary

This AI summary is generated by Microsoft Edge Copilot:

This passage outlines a strategic scenario where Russia fulfills all its 2014 geopolitical ambitions through diplomacy rather than continued conflict:

**Signing Peace, Securing Victory**
- A formal agreement—potentially under the **CUTTR Plan**—would legalize Russia’s control of **Crimea**, transforming its de facto ownership into indisputable legitimacy.
- The document serves as a keystone for:
  - **Recognized sovereignty over Crimea**
  - **Reintegration of Donbas** with full rights for pro-Russian separatists
  - **Termination of hostilities**, ending the costly war

**Economic and Diplomatic Upside**
- Lifting sanctions would unleash economic recovery—estimated hundreds of billions in lost revenue could be reversed.
- Russia would return to the **global diplomatic stage**, regaining stature among world powers, such as the G7.
- The Russian leader could exit on a **historic high**, credited with reclaiming Crimea “for the motherland.”

**Ukraine’s Demands as Leverage**
- In purchasing Crimea, Russia isn’t buying territory—but **international recognition of ownership**.
- Ukrainian demands (debt relief, asset reparations, gas deals) are **substantial but spread out**, softening their impact.
- These demands would simultaneously **benefit Ukraine** and **tie it economically and politically closer to Russia**.

**Narrative Framing**
- To Russians, it’s a symbolic vindication of the belief that Crimea belongs to the **Rodina**.
- To the world, the treaty’s terms can be spun as gestures of goodwill, or strategic diplomacy.

This vision underscores how a single treaty could reshape Eastern Europe’s political landscape.

References

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