Vladimir Medinsky, who is leading Russian negotiators in talks with Ukraine, says the parties have come close to an agreement on Ukraine’s neutral status.
Delegation of Russia and Ukraine during the third round of talks.
The head of the Russian delegation in talks with Ukrainian officials says the parties have come close to an agreement on a neutral status for Ukraine.
Vladimir Medinsky, who led Russian negotiators in several rounds of talks with Ukraine, including this week, said on Friday that the sides have narrowed their differences on Ukraine joining NATO and adopting a neutral position.
Medinsky said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies, “The issue of neutral status for Ukraine and NATO membership is one of the key issues in the negotiations, and it is this issue where the parties have made their positions as close as possible.” “
He said the sides are now “halfway” on issues related to the demilitarization of Ukraine.
obey Live Updates on the Russo-Ukraine War
Medinsky noted that while Kyiv insists that Russia-backed separatist areas in the east of Ukraine should be brought back into the fold, Russia believes that the people of the regions should be allowed to determine their fate. Needed.
Russia recognized the independence of the separatist regions and used their calls for military support as the pretext of launching an attack on Ukraine on 24 February.
Medinsky noted that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was possible after negotiators finalized a draft treaty to end hostilities and received preliminary approval by the countries’ governments.
Medinsky also emphasized a recent statement by Oleksiy Erestovich, an adviser to Zelensky, who called for the disruption of railway links to supply Russian troops to Ukraine, saying it could undermine negotiations.
Read | Side by side: Putin praises Russian soldiers in mega show of strength in Moscow
