Is a peace deal possible with Putin? On the problems of peacemaking in the Russian war on Ukraine

This policy brief considers the relationship between peace and justice in any attempt at peace-making in the Russian-Ukraine War i.e., the tests that should be applied in order for any cessation of fighting in Ukraine to be considered a just end. A recent private seminar on 20 July 2022 hosted a discussion around the question, ‘Is a peace deal possible with Putin?’ This publication contains a non-verbatim summary of key points made by panellists in their presentations. The audience was a small group of experts, academics, civil society advocates and policy-makers. Panellists were united in their view that a peace deal, including notions of a just end, was not possible with Putin in power. In drawing this conclusion, they nonetheless laid out scenarios for how Ukraine could successfully prosecute a military campaign that led to an end to the war