This is not a path for de-escalation, it's Zelensky's 'victory' plan.
- And it's a non-starter for Russia.

The West is attempting to create a situation where Donald Trump can't do anything other than continue the conflict.

They want to extend NATO membership to the parts of Ukraine not currently held by Russia, create a buffer zone and send in 'peacekeepers' from Europe, which Russia will target and destroy instantly, which will force the NATO countries to invoke Article 5 and leave Trump unable to negotiate before he takes office.
- And for NATO forces to fight Russia n order to try and return the Russian held areas of Ukraine back into Ukrainian control - perhaps after Putin leaves office.

Russia is not going to accept NATO membership.
Not now, not in 20 years time.
They will also not accept a frozen conflict, and they will not be giving back the 4 territories + Crimea.
They are considered Russian territory now by the Russian constitution and subject to Russias nuclear doctrine.

Expect more Oreshniks in coming days, though that said, Putin is trying to drag out the clock when it comes to further escalation, but the people Trump 2.0 has placed into his administration are war mongers, people like Gorka calling Putin a thug, to prevent any chance of Trump negotiating.

[Trump is either a liar or a fool with his administration choices]

The entire Western plan is a non-starter, and I'm actually somewhat concerned that we've already past the point of no-return in regard to a nuclear confrontation.
It may simply only be a matter of time.

http://t.me/myLordBebo/52125

Zelensky:
- Russia will never get Ukrainian land
- Ukraine will return it diplomatically or by force
- NATO is the best security guarantee for Ukraine
- EU is the best economic guarantee for Ukraine

[Click the 'context' button and you'll find some more interesting posts.]

There's zero chance that Ukraine will get NATO membership in return for what amounts to a ceasefire. But this is merely Zelensky's opening post-Trump victory offer.

Everything changed when Trump won. Everyone from Putin to Iran to Hezbullah to Hamas to Syria are rethinking their positions.

Ukraine might get NATO membership but not for a mere ceasefire. But....

If a firm peace was set that recognised the change of borders so that Russia gets Crimea de jure, and most of the Donbass with a promise that that is the end of their claims then peace might be possible. But who would believe Putin? Remember Ukraine has memory of what happens when you give up a strategic position in return for mere promises when they gave up their nukes based on Clinton's promise to protect their security. This war would be very different if Ukraine still had its nukes.

So....

To give Ukraine assurance that the new borders would indeed be secure and protected by the west, NATO membership might be on the table. If Putin is sincere in his claims that the Donbass is all he wants, then he should have no problems with the rump Ukraine being accepted into the western alliance.

Trump might have other ideas about how to get Ukraine over the line in giving up 20% of their previous territory. But in reality they aren't getting it back. OTOH is they think that making peace now would only be a prelude to further claims once Putin has rebuilt his depleted forces, then they may as well keep fighting while Russia, if not quite on the ropes, is a least looking for help from the referee.

Letting Ukraine into NATO might be a small price for Europe to pay to get something approaching long term peace in its east.

Would that mean Russia will be allowed back to Cuba ?

Lavrov Dismisses West's Ceasefire Idea: 'Not a Path to Peace'
http://tass.com/politics/1880805

MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/. Russia rejects Western claims that a ceasefire will help the situation in Ukraine, as that will not lead to a lasting peace, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

>>"We are growing more and more concerned about what we are hearing from the West lately. The West - Brussels, London, Paris, Washington are starting to float the idea of a ceasefire as a means to give a respite to Ukraine and hence grant themselves a possibility to flood Ukraine with advanced long-range weapons again. Of course, this is not a path to peace," he said at a meeting with his visiting Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjarto, as follows from a video posted on the latter’s Facebook page (Facebook is banned in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which has been designated as extremist).

"It looks like Western leaders are doing [Vladimir] Zelensky’s bidding, giving in to all of his whims," Lavrov said. "Their position has been: not a word about Ukraine without Ukraine. But that they have been discussing Russia under the ‘Zelensky formula’ without Russia for more than two years doesn't seem to bother anyone," he added.<<