Ap Analysis: Putin Digs In For Long Ukraine Fight

MOSCOW (AP) — Riding a wave of military gains by pro-Russia rebels, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it exceedingly clear that he wants a peace deal for Ukraine on his terms and will not be stopped by economic costs. Prospects for a political settlement looked dim just a few weeks ago while the Ukrainian troops were methodically tightening their noose around pro-Russia rebel strongholds in the east, but Kiev's hopes for a quick victory were short-lived. Hinting at a possible compromise, the rebels dropped their previous demand for full independence and expressed readiness to discuss keeping the eastern regions inside Ukraine in exchange for a blanket amnesty and broad autonomy. Moscow wants Kiev to give the rebel regions sweeping powers that would let them keep close ties with Russia and allow the Kremlin to maintain leverage over Ukraine and prevent it from ever joining NATO. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has promised to delegate broad authority to the regions and guarantee citizens' the right to use the Russian language, but his plan lacked specifics and it has remained unclear whether Moscow would see it as sufficient. Repeated attempts to negotiate a settlement have failed, prompting the West to introduce several rounds of economic sanctions that targeted officials and businessmen close to Putin and, finally, entire sectors of the Russian economy. A sweeping modernization program has allowed the army to upgrade its arsenals, and a series of massive drills involving tens of thousands of troops and thousands of tanks have helped polish soldiers' skills in the past years.

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