Many Western diplomats are speculating over whether the deployment of a peacekeeping mission in the Donbass will be a reasonable arrangement with Russian President Vladimir Putin or it will be a deal with the devil. During the recent Munich Security Conference, some US officials privately said that Washington was going straight into the trap that Putin had established.

This is written by The Wall Street Journal.

Former and current US officials believe that Russia is not interested in establishing peace in Ukraine, and the introduction of peacekeepers in the Donbass will rather consolidate Russia's control over the Ardlo, which will help resolve the conflict.

Recall, Russia officially insists that peacekeepers should only be on the line of demarcation in the east of Ukraine (and only as a security mission of the OSCE CMM), while the West emphasizes that the "blue helmets" must take control of the entire perimeter of the conflict zone, including the Ukrainian-Russian border.

Former US officials believe that Russia can stop or prevent the deployment of peacekeepers, preventing them from taking control of the border. Some US diplomats believe that these risks can be avoided, for example, do not start the process of lifting sanctions against Russia until the complete restoration of peace in the Donbass. Also, US diplomats talk about the emergence of some "window of opportunity" in the period after the presidential elections in Russia in March and before the World Cup, which will be held in this country, in mid-July.

In turn, the former US ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow stressed that the plan to introduce peacekeepers to the Donbass will work only if Putin wants to get rid of sanctions.

Another former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul cited Cyprus as an example, where peacekeepers were deployed in 1964.

"These forces are still there, and the conclusion of a peace agreement that would unite the north of the island occupied by Turkey with the rest of the country remains vague. Explain what factors differ in this particular case, so that this does not lead to a scenario like permanent separation, as in Cyprus? ", - noted McFaul.

Source: Apostrophe.