Russian military transport plane crashes near Ukraine
NBCFeb 04
Russia Denies Sending US Signals on Ukraine Peace Talks
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The Facts
The Kremlin on Friday denied a report that Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin sent "feelers" to the US about engaging in talks to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. Speaking to reporters, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "That’s false information. It's completely untrue."
It came a day after Bloomberg, citing two sources close to the Kremlin, said Putin was "testing the waters" on whether Washington was open to talks. The publication further reported that Putin "may be willing to consider dropping an insistence on neutral status for Ukraine and even ultimately abandon opposition to eventual NATO membership — the threat of which has been a central Russian justification for the invasion."
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This invasion is an egregious violation of international law. Putin's ultimate aim is to restore the Soviet empire, even if it takes massive bloodshed and false pretexts such as calling the 2014 Ukrainian revolution after an election a "coup." This unprovoked attack is the latest chapter in Putin's Orwellian attempt to rewrite history.
Establishment-critical narrative
NATO and the US have ignored Russia's security concerns by breaking its promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification. These concerns are legitimate and taking them seriously would have avoided the Ukraine tragedy.
