The chief Ukrainian negotiator in the peace talks with Russia, David Arakhamia, assured on Saturday (02.04.2022) that Moscow “orally” accepted the main Ukrainian proposals and that kyiv was waiting for a written confirmation.
In a television program, the negotiator suggested that the negotiations to end the conflict had made considerable progress.
“The Russian Federation has given an official answer to all the positions, which is that they accept the (Ukrainian) position, except on the issue of Crimea,” annexed by Russia in 2014, Arakhamia said. He added that although there was “no official confirmation in writing”, the Russian side said so “orally”.
Putin-Zelensky meeting not ruled out
On the other hand, Arakhamia said that if a meeting between Presidents Volodimir Zelensky and Vladimir Putin were to be organized, it would “most likely” take place in Turkey.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who received Russian and Ukrainian delegations in his country this week, “called us and Vladimir Putin” on Friday, saying he would host such a meeting, it revealed.
“We don’t know the date or the place, but we think the place will most likely be Ankara or Istanbul,” Arakhamia said.
Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Zelensky has repeatedly asked to meet with Putin.
The Ukrainian negotiator stressed that Moscow had agreed during the talks that a referendum on Ukraine’s neutrality would be “the only way out of this situation.” If the Ukrainians do not accept that status, “we will return to a state of war, perhaps, or to new negotiations.”
The Kremlin insists that Ukraine should not join NATO and should opt for neutrality.
gs (afp, dpa)