Putin's Push for Peace Renews Hopes for a Ceasefire in Ukraine

``On Wednesday afternoon, the Kremlin confirmed in a statement that Putin would personally attend the negotiations in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, that evening. Previous peace talks held in Minsk have usually seen Putin send a junior envoy to sit at the table, and when those negotiations have failed in the past to produce a viable agreement, he has been able to keep himself at arm's length from the failure. This time around, any agreement the Minsk talks produce will likely bear Putin's signature, giving him a greater share of the responsibility in making sure all sides adhere to it.''