Optimism has emerged in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and drafts of documents for an end to hostilities, according to delegates for the two nations.
Ukranian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak, a member of the delegation negotiating a peace agreement, said that Russia was beginning to have constructive dialogue in the talks.
“At the negotiations, [Russia is] not putting [up] ultimatums, but carefully listens to our proposals,” Podolyak wrote on Twitter. “[Ukraine] will not give up any of [its] positions. Our demands are – the end of the war and the withdrawal of [Russian] troops. I see the understanding and there is a dialogue.”
To clarify. At the negotiations, the RF not putting ultimatums, but carefully listens to our proposals. 🇺🇦 will not give up any of the positions. Our demands are – the end of the war and the withdrawal of RF troops. I see the understanding and there is a dialogue. pic.twitter.com/72ae9ZeOfn
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) March 13, 2022
Podolyak also included a video of himself discussing the negotiations in more detail. As translated by Reuters:
“We will not concede in principle on any positions. Russia now understands this. Russia is already beginning to talk constructively.”
“I think that we will achieve some results literally in a matter of days.”
ABC News further reported, citing an interview with Podolyak in independent Russian newspaper Kommersant, that the two delegations were working on a draft of a legal document that both sides would be able to sign. The two sides have agreed to keep their proposals confidential until they have a full agreement, but Podolyak reportedly indicated that the negotiations have focused on a cease-fire and a peace agreement.
A key sticking point is the issue of “security guarantees” for both sides, ABC reported. Ukraine is also reportedly seeking compensation for damaged infrastructure and a process for Russian troop withdrawals. Podolyak told Kommersant that Russia needed “more time” to “fully understand the reality of its situation and the need to further compromise on its demands,” ABC reported.
The Russian delegation also expressed optimism that talks were progressing toward an agreement. Leonid Slutsky, a member of the Russian negotiating team, told Russian state-owned news broadcaster RT that the two sides had made “significant progress” and that he was expecting an agreement between the two sides and a draft document for signing. “If we compare the positions of both delegations at the talks, at the very beginning and today, we see significant progress,” Slutsky said. “I am happy to report that, according to my personal expectations, in the next few days, this progress may develop into a joint position of the delegations and into documents to sign.”
Both sides also said that talks would resume Monday.
The U.S. State Department seemed to agree with the assessment of both parties. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told Bret Baier on “Fox News Sunday” that international pressure seemed to have moved Russia to the negotiating table. “We are seeing some signs of a willingness to have real serious negotiations,” Sherman said, but warned that Russia was still being aggressive in Ukraine.
Earlier this week, Russian officials told news outlets that it would immediately halt its invasion and withdraw its troops “in a moment” if Ukraine met four conditions: stopping its own military action, enshrining neutrality between Russia and NATO in the Ukranian constitution, acknowledging Crimea as Russian territory, and recognizing the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced those demands as an “ultimatum,” but did say that if Russia was willing to “start the dialogue,” he would be willing to negotiate a resolution for Russia’s demands.
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Source: Dailywire
