The hope: "tentative 15-point peace plan including a ceasefire and Russian withdrawal if Kyiv declares neutrality and accepts limits on its armed forces"
— Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) March 16, 2022
The fear: "Moscow could be buying time to regroup its forces and resume its offensive"https://t.co/lI6V9Z09C5
#Ukraine #UkraineRussiaWar
— The Independent (@Independent) March 17, 2022
🔴 Ukraine and Russia ‘make significant progress on 15 point peace plan’
🔴 Ukraine theatre hit by airstrike where hundreds were sheltering had ‘children’ written on pavement in Russian
Follow live ⬇️ https://t.co/5DEPTGQcTk
BREAKING: Kremlin spokesman says reports that Russia and Ukraine have made progress on a possible peace deal are, on the whole, 'incorrect'.
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) March 17, 2022
.@lesiavasylenko to UK journalists just now on Ukraine's terms for a peace deal: "Russia deoccupies Ukraine, 🇷🇺 retreats to 🇺🇦's recognised 1991 borders, & 🇷🇺 pays for all the damage. The only concession 🇺🇦 is prepared to make is a discount on the reparations 🇷🇺 will have to pay"
— Harry Lambert 🌻 (@harrytlambert) March 17, 2022
What would a Ukraine peace deal look like? Will the country give up its ambitions for Nato and pledge neutrality? How might the west feel safe and could Putin tolerate an independent Ukraine?
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) March 16, 2022
🎧 Listen to our podcast episode about these questions: https://t.co/jc1lKW5SP4 pic.twitter.com/Zmd5w7IRR7
Ukraine is sceptical Putin’s committed to peace.
— max seddon (@maxseddon) March 16, 2022
“There’s a likelihood this is trickery and illusion. They lie about everything — Crimea, the build-up, the ‘hysteria’ over the invasion. We need to put pressure on them until they have no other choice.”https://t.co/eGl2qD4G6U
English translation plus explainer thread of Putin's Stalinist speech https://t.co/BlKrtDuLZn
— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) March 17, 2022
Peace deal? BBC’s John Simpson makes the Ukrainian comparison I’ve been surprised not to see more often, namely that Finland beat Stalin’s much purged army in 1940’s Winter War invasion, lost territory but saved its independence https://t.co/K0WUTri47l
— MichaelWhite (@michaelwhite) March 17, 2022
Meanwhile…
Ukraine gained a complete victory in its case against Russia at the International Court of Justice. The ICJ ordered to immediately stop the invasion. The order is binding under international law. Russia must comply immediately. Ignoring the order will isolate Russia even further
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 16, 2022
Russia’s rapid thrust into Voznesensk was meant to showcase its military prowess. Instead, the Ukrainian town dealt Russian forces one of the most humiliating defeats of the war. My report from the battlefield where Russian bodies are still being collected https://t.co/bZf1ZmDRDK
— Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) March 16, 2022
Stalemate on the battlefield is a necessary condition for serious peace talks. So that's "Why the West must boost military assistance to Ukraine." https://t.co/qvA2U2MCy8
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) March 17, 2022
Ukraine president Zelenskiy calls for Russia to be named a 'terrorist state' – video https://t.co/2IAxmOlvZj
— Guardian news (@guardiannews) March 17, 2022
"I think he was getting what he needed from Trump and so he didn't need to escalate into a war," Marie Yovanovitch says. "But then Zelenskyy was elected president. I think Putin thought he could manipulate Zelenskyy…then Trump lost." https://t.co/W19X6dwnny
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 17, 2022
A few weeks ago at CPAC, the right was divided over how to message Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The right has been full of Vladimir Putin fanboys going back to the Trump administration, but here was their favorite authoritarian just cruising into Ukrainehttps://t.co/4WaRXhH9LH
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) March 16, 2022
Good reminder that if Trump were president and Kevin McCarthy were speaker, Putin would have addressed Congress today. https://t.co/V2phla49wi
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) March 16, 2022
The far right – or at least the Trump-aligned far right – is already too deep into conspiracy theories to break with Russia, or at least to side cleanly with Ukraine, writes @emilyctamkin.
— The New Statesman (@NewStatesman) March 17, 2022
https://t.co/ctgOKb84Q4
Today in Londongrad…
The Tories ignored Labour’s warnings on Russia – then came the invasion | John Healey https://t.co/zsauxrGMsv
— The Guardian (@guardian) March 16, 2022
Read this article as well as Danny Finkelstein's in the Times today. To put it politely, to Tories, Russian-oligarch friendships were convenient & not altogether unpleasant symbiotic relationships. Extraordinary that the PM can survive this – but he will. https://t.co/NwxDkMBxEx
— Jessica Simor QC (@JMPSimor) March 16, 2022
– not my job to defend Farage but £548,573 was the figure for assets in Thorn In The Side (of which Farage was the sole director) for the year to May 2018
— Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) March 15, 2022
– seems fair to presume that various income streams went into that company? https://t.co/H9qy7tePH5
Imagine having to explain to your children why you chose Farage, Dorries, Johnson & Rees-Mogg over being an integral part of this. https://t.co/2FzhSfDpuJ
— James Oh Brien (@mrjamesob) March 11, 2022
Auction houses Christie's, Sotheby's and Bonhams have cancelled sales of Russian art in London in June, part of the art market's response to Western sanctions on Russia as punishment for its invasion of Ukraine https://t.co/5dLFv03DfC https://t.co/5dLFv03DfC
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 17, 2022
"Plans to cap UK MPs’ earnings from second jobs dropped"
— Edwin Hayward 🦄 🗡 (@uk_domain_names) March 17, 2022
The Tories got away with Partygate and PPEGate and PutinGate and an entire battalion of other gates, so why not one more… https://t.co/HgkUn7bjuV
Finally…
The moment Richard, Nazanin and Gabriella finally reunited after 6 long years. This picture makes me so happy and so proud of all 3 of my brave constituents. Thank you everyone for your constant support for this incredible family. #NazaninIsFree pic.twitter.com/KZYMtFEA48
— Tulip Siddiq (@TulipSiddiq) March 17, 2022
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is free. We’ve looked at why, after six years, this moment has come now. Just like her original detention, it’s about diplomacy and politics. 4 mins produced by Michael Cox, Priyanka Deladia, and Mary Fuller. https://t.co/BKGrSNRAzh pic.twitter.com/JDnt0EKFew
— Ros Atkins (@BBCRosAtkins) March 16, 2022
The Overnight Note 