A Ukrainian military expert, Candidate of Military Sciences, Doctor of Technical Sciences, professor, former deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lt. Gen. (Rtd)Ihor Romanenko says Russian President Vladimir Putin, who on Thursday declared readiness to return military equipment from the occupied Crimea to Ukraine, wants to present himself as a peacemaker and improve his international image. “This is an opportunity to show himself as a peacemaker. In this regard, we hear concessions on the introduction of UN peacekeepers in eastern Ukraine, and a number of other points. Putin is looking at other steps toward Ukraine”, the general said.
