Russia and Ukraine announce peace talks

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, negotiations with Ukraine have not been easy, but it is important that the process continues. Dmitry Peskov said that Russia wants to continue negotiations with Ukraine in neighboring Belarus, but Kiev has opposed this proposal.

Meanwhile, representative of Ukraine’s negotiating delegation David Arakhamia said that the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskiy is likely to take place in Turkey. However, he did not mention the time or the place.

According to this official, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had a phone conversation with the leader Russia and Ukraine and “apparently for confirmation from both sides that they are ready for a meeting in the near future”. “We think it will most likely be in Istanbul or Ankara,” he said.

Previously, direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul took place on March 29. After about four hours of negotiations, the Russian negotiating team returned to Moscow on the evening of the same day, bringing with them Ukraine’s written proposal for a “peace agreement” between the two sides. This result is considered a significant step forward in the difficult negotiation process to end the conflict that has lasted for more than a month in Ukraine.

The conflict in Ukraine has lasted for more than a month. (Photo: AP)

This is the first round of direct negotiations between the two sides in more than two weeks. As planned, the negotiation round would last for two days, March 29 and 30, 2022, but the event ended one day earlier than the original schedule.

The head of the Russian negotiating delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said that the negotiations this time were constructive. The two sides are taking steps to de-escalate the conflict. Moscow and Kiev have agreed to prepare a treaty for negotiators to adopt. This treaty needs to be ratified by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs before the heads of state of the two countries can meet to sign.

After the negotiations, the Russian Defense Ministry decided to significantly reduce military activities near the capital Kiev and the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv. The Russian side also announced a local ceasefire on March 31 to facilitate the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol, a Ukrainian port city. This is the most positive result in the peace talks that the world public has long expected because it helps reduce the temperature of the conflict between the two sides. Further, the negotiations could open the door to hope of a peaceful resolution to the end Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Meanwhile, Moscow has kept demanding that Ukraine recognize Crimea as part of Russia and recognize the independence of two breakaway territories in eastern Ukraine. Medinsky stressed that Moscow’s position in principle regarding Crimea and Donbass remains unchanged.

As for Ukraine, the Russian diplomat said, Kiev has agreed to the principle of officially becoming a neutral country. It has presented a draft that outlines a future peace agreement.

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