The Ukrainian embassy in Turkey said today, Tuesday, that a meeting between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators in Istanbul had ended, while Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu confirmed that the Russian and Ukrainian negotiating delegations had agreed on some issues, while the head of the Ukrainian delegation announced that sufficient progress had been made in the negotiations. Talks to allow a meeting between the presidents of the two countries.
The talks lasted about four hours, with breaks from time to time, and a member of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation announced that Kyiv wanted an “international agreement” to guarantee its security, under which other countries would act as a guarantor.
The Ukrainian negotiating delegation said: “We will agree to the status of neutrality, provided that there are security guarantees,” noting that Israel, Turkey, Poland and Canada may be among the guarantor countries.
The head of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation confirmed that talks with the Russian side will continue during the coming period.
In turn, the Russian negotiating delegation called on Kyiv to punish the He committed torture crimes against Russian prisonersNoting that “today’s talks with Ukraine were constructive,” while the head of the Russian negotiating delegation stressed by saying, “We do not oppose Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.”
Negotiations between the two delegations began on Tuesday morning to discuss ways to reach a political consensus, in the hope that the consultations would reach the consensus required to put an end to the war on Ukrainian lands since February 24, while Ukrainian news reported that “no handshake occurred” between the two delegations.
President Erdogan addresses the Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the start of talks in Istanbul
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul, saying that “the two sides have legitimate concerns,” calling on both sides to “put an end to this tragedy.” Erdogan stressed that “the expansion of the conflict is not in anyone’s interest,” noting that progress in the meeting would pave the way for a meeting between the leaders of the two countries, Russian Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky.
The talks between the two delegations are being held at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, where the offices of the Turkish presidency are located. Archyde.com reported that Russian businessman Roman Abramovich was attending negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul.
Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky
This is the first time that the delegations of the two countries, who arrived in Turkey the day before, meet after several rounds of video talks.
Ukrainian television reported that talks with Russia began without the delegations shaking hands. “There was a cold welcome, no handshake,” a Ukrainian reporter said, without saying whether he had seen the delegations meeting or if officials had told him about it.
Mikhailo Podolyak, political advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky, said on Twitter that the delegations would discuss “the basic items of the negotiation process. The delegations are working in parallel on discussing a whole range of contentious issues.”
On March 10, in Antalya (southern Turkey), Turkey hosted the first meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.
Close Russia’s military operation in Ukraine on its 34th dayOn Tuesday, the Russian army continues to target Ukrainian military sites and gatherings.
On Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced that his country’s most aspiration for Talks with Russia In Turkey this week is a ceasefire agreement.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba
He said in statements to television when asked about the expected scope of the latest round of peace negotiations, which is scheduled to start today: “The minimum will be the humanitarian issue, and the maximum is reaching an agreement on a ceasefire.”
Meanwhile, Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath correspondent reported the arrival of the Ukrainian delegation to negotiations with Russia in Istanbul.
From the negotiations of the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Belarus – Archyde.com, March 3, 2021
Earlier today, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed pessimism about the possibility that the new round of negotiations, which is expected to be held tomorrow in Turkey, will reach any breakthroughs. “We cannot talk about progress in the talks, although of course holding them face to face is very important,” he told reporters on a conference call today.
He also noted that the idea of a possible meeting between Putin and Zelensky is ruled out for the time being.
Long sessions that lasted for more than two weeks were previously held between the two sides via video link, preceded by a direct session on the Belarusian border, and another on the Polish border.
However, none of those sessions, which were launched four days after the Russian military operation (February 28), which was described as difficult and complex, have not yet reached a settlement that ends the conflict, which has entered its second month.
While Moscow adheres to the “neutrality” of the western neighbor, and the disarmament of its nuclear weapons or that poses a threat to it, as well as Ukraine’s non-joining of NATO, Kyiv continues to demand its sovereignty over its territory, and security guarantees that prevent a future conflict or Russian attack.