Demands
Zelenskiy
Zelenskiy has also warned repeatedly, however, that while Ukraine might be prepared to accept some kind of neutral status with international guarantees, the country’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity” remain its top priority in any talks.
Putin
Putin has demanded the “demilitarisation and denazification” of Ukraine, as well as the imposition of neutral status and recognition of the Donbas and Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014, as no longer part of Ukrainian territory.
Fight still on
Ukrainian forces retook Irpin, north-west of Kyiv, from Russian troops, who were regrouping to take the area back, Zelenskiy said late on Monday. “We still have to fight, we have to endure,” he said. “We can’t raise expectations.”
A senior US defence official said Ukrainian troops had also retaken Trostyanets, south of Sumy, in the east, adding that Russia’s forces remained largely in defensive positions near Kyiv and were making little forward progress elsewhere in the country.
Catastrophic humanitarian conditions
Humanitarian conditions remain catastrophic in several southern and eastern cities, however, including the besieged and heavily bombarded southern port city of Mariupol, where the mayor’s office has said nearly 5,000 people have been killed, including about 210 children.
Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said she hoped three humanitarian corridors would be opened on Tuesday to evacuate civilians from besieged towns and cities, including Mariupol.
Earlier peace talks, both by video and in person, failed to make progress towards a ceasefire. The latest round takes place against the background of allegations that delegates to previous informal talks in Kyiv in early March were poisoned.
Symptoms consistent with poisoning
Abramovich and a Ukrainian MP and peace negotiator, Rustem Umerov, suffered symptoms consistent with poisoning earlier this month, according to a source with direct knowledge of the incident.
Both men, who consumed only chocolate and water, were treated for symptoms that reportedly included loss of sight and peeling skin. The allegations were first reported in the Wall Street Journal and by the investigative outlet Bellingcat.
Talks concluded
First sign of progress
A deputy Russian defense minister said on Tuesday that Russia would sharply “reduce military activity” near Kyiv and the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, in the first sign of progress as diplomats from Ukraine and Russia discussed a possible cease-fire.
Possible meeting
Russia also said it was prepared to accelerate the timeline of a possible meeting between President Vladimir V. Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. Speaking after talks with Ukrainian officials in Istanbul, Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, said the Kremlin was ready to hold such a meeting once a draft peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia was ready.
Talks constructive
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators concluded face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul on Tuesday, with the Ukrainian side saying that there have been enough developments to have a meeting between the presidents of the two countries.
Russia said the talks were “constructive,” raising hopes that there could be progress toward ending the war.
However, Russian top negotiator Medinsky said a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy is possible only if a deal has been approved by the foreign ministries of both countries.
Following the talks, Ukrainian negotiators told reporters that Kyiv would agree to a neutral status if a security guarantee system is put in place. They said, under the new system, Israel, Poland, Canada and Turkey could be among Ukraine’s security guarantors.
About neutral status
The neutral status would include not hosting any foreign military bases on Ukrainian territory.
There needs to be full peace across Ukraine for any final agreement with Russia to come into force, the Ukrainian side stressed, adding that a referendum would be needed in Ukraine on the terms of any final deal.
They also proposed holding consultations with Russia on the status of Crimea.
Second day of talks?
The talks on Tuesday lasted around four hours with occasional breaks. It is unclear if the discussions will continue for a second day.
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Source: The Guardian
