Today was the 33rd day of the war between Russia and Ukraine. After more than a month, there has been a softening of attitude in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to declare neutrality and negotiate a settlement on the country’s rebellious eastern areas. He made the announcement ahead of the next round of talks between Russia and Ukraine to stop the war on Tuesday. However, Zelensky reiterated that only a face-to-face conversation with the Russian leader could end the war.
Meanwhile, Russian negotiators have reached Istanbul. Russian representatives arrived in Istanbul on Monday to hold the next round of talks with Ukraine. Turkish media gave this information. Turkey’s private communication agency DHA said a Russian government plane landed at Istanbul airport on Monday. The two sides are scheduled to hold talks on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Earlier video conferences and face-to-face talks had failed to make progress on the issue of preventing war. So far thousands of people have died in this war and about 4 million Ukrainian citizens have been displaced. In an interview to an independent Russian media outlet, Zelensky hinted at possible concessions, adding that Ukraine’s priority was to ensure its sovereignty and prevent Moscow from alienating part of the country that some Western countries have been concerned about. To say that this is the goal of Russia. But, “we are prepared to maintain security guarantees and neutrality, the non-nuclear status of our country,” he said.
Russia has long demanded that Ukraine give up hope of the West joining the NATO alliance because Moscow sees it as a threat to itself. Zelensky also stressed that in any agreement it must guarantee security. “We are ready to talk about security guarantees and neutrality, our country’s non-nuclear status,” he said. Zelensky had suggested these measures in the past but did not speak so convincingly. It is believed that Zelensky’s latest remarks could give impetus to the talks in Istanbul.
Russia has blocked the publication of this interview, in which Zelensky said, ‘We will make a deal with the President of the Russian Federation and he will have to come out … and meet me in order to reach this agreement.’ Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that the presidents of the two countries could meet but only after the key points of a possible agreement are negotiated.
“Meeting is necessary but first let us be clear about the resolution of all important issues at once,” he said. Lavrov alleged in an interview to the Servian media that Ukraine only wanted to “follow talks” while Russia needed concrete results.
