BAccording to the two countries, talks between Ukraine and Russia are currently about what a neutral status for Ukraine could look like. On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, put forward this as a possible negotiated solution. Ukraine would remain neutral, but would have its own armed forces. “This is a variant that is currently being discussed and that could actually be seen as a compromise,” the RIA news agency quoted Peskov as saying.
However, Ukrainian negotiator and presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak rejected the idea. In a post on Telegram, he wrote that the model of neutrality “can only be Ukrainian”. This can only be achieved through “safety guarantees”. By this he understands that the guarantor states should legally commit themselves to actively assisting Ukraine in the event of a conflict. In an interview with the American television station PBS, he said that documents are currently being drawn up that could then be agreed and signed by the two presidents in direct discussions.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the RBK news portal that the model was being seriously discussed. “There are very specific formulations which, in my opinion, are on the verge of agreement,” Lavrov said. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj also expressed cautious optimism in a speech on Wednesday night. However, it will still be a long time before a satisfactory solution is reached. “We all want peace and victory as soon as possible,” the President said. “But it takes effort and patience. There is still fighting and work to be done.”
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On Tuesday afternoon he had apparently already accepted a condition from Russia at a meeting of Nordic countries in London, to which he was connected. Ukraine must understand that it will not become a member of NATO, he said. “For years we have heard about open doors, but now we have also heard that we are not allowed to enter there, and we have to accept that,” says Zelenskyj.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported that negotiators had made progress in negotiating a 15-point plan. This provides that Ukraine declares itself neutral and undertakes not to station any foreign troops on its territory. Russia should withdraw its army from the country. Ukraine should be able to rely on the protection of the United States, the United Kingdom and Turkey. However, this point is a possible obstacle on the way to an agreement, since it is not clear whether the states mentioned would get involved. Podoljak wrote on Twitter about the paper that this only represents the demands of the Russian side. Ukraine has its own positions.
Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said he was ready to discuss a neutral status of Ukraine. However, the “military operation” is proceeding “strictly according to plan”. According to the Financial Times, government officials in Kyiv are skeptical as to whether Vladimir Putin is really interested in peace and whether he is not actually using the negotiations to reorganize his troops.
Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu, who was in Moscow and plans to travel to Kyiv this Thursday, also got involved in the diplomatic efforts on Wednesday. Meanwhile, US security adviser Sullivan was on the phone with Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev. The White House said he warned him about the use of biological or chemical weapons in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, hostilities in Ukraine continued, with Russian troops attempting to secure territory gains. However, they also continued shelling cities like Kyiv and Mariupol. The Ukrainian government accused them of seizing a hospital in Mariupol and holding remaining civilians hostage in the basement. The deputy mayor of Mariupol accused Russian troops of destroying the city’s theater. Among them were more than 1,000 people in an air raid shelter, he told the British broadcaster BBC. The number of victims is still unclear.