Photo : StratNews Global
Photo : StratNews Global
By Fleur Elizabeth Philip
THE MOSCOW VIEW
Claims by Russia
On 20 May, Russian President Vladimir Putin following the talks with US President Donald Trump, said that he was ready to work on a memorandum of the future peace agreement. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented that it was up to Ukraine to respond to the proposed memorandum.
On 20 May, Investigative Committee Head Alexander Bastrykin announced that the law enforcement agencies of Russia have sent 20,000 migrants to fight the war against Ukraine. He further added that this shows signs of a crackdown in the Russian migrant population, as the government struggles to meet manpower necessities. Bastrykin added that the migrants were those who wished not to live in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan. The Russian national guard has also been ordered to capture any migrants who try to enter Russia and to register for the military.
On 20 May, RT reported on the Russian defence giant Rostec response to the new sanctions imposed by the EU, and dismissed them by calling it “a champion of meaningless measures,” and the efforts made by the EU will not be successful. They further commented by saying that the EU “cannot stop trying” to take down the Russian industry.
On 20 May, RT reported on China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning response to the phone call between Trump and Putin. She said that all parties must reach for a “fair and lasting” peace agreement that is acceptable to both regions.
THE WEST VIEW
Responses from the US and Europe
On 20 May, the EU Council announced the 17th package of sanctions, focusing on the economic and individual sectors, suspending Russia’s access to key military technology, and suppressing the energy revenue sources that Russia uses for its war against Ukraine. The extent of restrictive measures, sanctions, and those that threaten the integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine have been applied to over 2400 individuals and entities. According to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, this package of sanctions covers a broad range of factors.
This includes Russia’s Shadow Fleet, which forms a major part of sanctions. They are responsible for transporting Russian oil and for their irregular, high-risk shipping. The sanctions are imposed on the 342 shipping vessels coming from the third world, banning their access to the ports, and on their “broad range” of services. This will reduce the revenues coming from the oil sector that fuel the war. In the package, the EU imposes individual sanctions that target the shadow fleet and those who enable its operations. They include shipping companies that transport crude oil and oil products, via sea, to the UAE, Turkiye, and Hong Kong. Sanctions and restrictive measures on Surgutneftegaz are listed to curb all revenues earned by the government. The sanctions target the military and industrial sectors, which include 45 Russian firms and individuals that provide the Russian military with drones, artillery, ammunition, equipment, and logistics support. The sanctions are imposed on three Chinese, Belarusian, and Israeli companies that provide critical components to Russia. The council added 31 new companies to the list, which are located in the UAE, Serbia, Turkiye, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan. According to the report, they have found ways to bypass the export controls and supply Russia with the Unmanned Armed Vehicles (UAVs) and several machine tools. The last set of the package targets the individuals and entities involved in the “looting of cultural heritage” in Crimea and the exploitation of Ukraine’s agricultural sector.
On 20 May, the UK government announced that it would impose sanctions on Russia following the drone attacks against Ukraine. 100 sanctions are to be imposed on various sectors, including military, energy, finance, and those that feed information to Russia. The sanctions apply to Russia’s deadly weapon systems, which include the Iskander missiles, and like the EU, they are to be imposed upon Russia’s shadow fleet. With the sanctions imposed by the West, the Russian economy has fallen in the first half of 2025. 40 per cent of the federal budget goes into defence spending.
On 20 May, Reuters reported that Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius accuses Putin of a lack of interest in the peace talks, and as per the talks with the US, he is only stalling for time. He further added that the EU must put more pressure by imposing sanctions on the Russian energy sales. Pistorius spoke to the reporters in Brussels, before meeting the foreign and defence ministers of the member nations, and said that Germany will continue supporting Ukraine. On the ceasefire, he added that Putin was not ready to make any concessions, and would accept it on his terms, where he states that Ukraine will not get NATO membership, and withdraw all troops from the occupied territories.
On 20 May, the BBC reported on Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's accusation against Russia for prolonging the conflict. According to Trump, the truce talks between Russia and Ukraine will start immediately. Zelenskyy warned of consequences if Russia puts unrealistic conditions and disrupts the progress. Zelenskyy also held talks with leaders from the UK, France, Germany and Poland. During his meeting with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, he stressed on force Russia into a ceasefire. This comes following the EU and UK’s sanctions on Russia.
References
“Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine: EU agrees 17th package of sanctions,” European Council, 20 May 2024
“Russia is only playing for time in Ukraine peace talks, Germany says,” Reuters, 20 May 2025
“Zelensky accuses Russia of 'buying time' to stall truce talks,” BBC, 20 May 2025
“German defense minister says Putin ‘playing for time’” AA, 20 May 2025
“UK announces major sanctions in support of Ukraine,” Gov.UK, 20 May 2025
“EU and UK pile pressure on Russia with parallel sanctions,” Al Jazeera, 20 May 2025
“Trump's Putin Call Indicates Ukraine's Future Is Up to Europe,” Council of Foreign Relations, 20 May 2025
“Russia sends 20,000 recently naturalized citizens to fight in Ukraine, top official says,” The Kyiv Independent, 20 May 2025
“Russian arms giant mocks new EU sanctions,” RT, 20 May 2025
“Beijing backs direct Moscow-Kiev contacts,” RT, 20 May 2025
“Ukrainian terrorist plots foiled near Kremlin – Putin to Trump,” RT, 20 May 2025