Watching Russia for Signs of Progress in Ukraine Negotiations

Recent developments suggest that significant progress in negotiations over the conflict in Ukraine may be possible for Moscow, Kiev and the West. Russia's announcement that it will end military operations in Syria, however tenuous and hedged it might be, is notable given the interplay between negotiations over the Syrian conflict and the crisis in eastern Ukraine. Lately there also has been a marked uptick in diplomatic activity between Russia and the United States. On March 23, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited Moscow to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin. Both Syria and Ukraine were discussed at the meeting, and Lavrov called on Moscow and Kiev alike to do more to implement the Minsk protocols and resolve the Ukrainian crisis.