Ukraine proposes “two documents” peace agreement with Russia

April 16, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a peace deal with Russia could include two separate documents: Security guarantees for Kiev and future relations with Moscow.

Addressing Ukrainian media, President Zelensky stated that the Kremlin wants a comprehensive document that addresses all issues. However, since security guarantees involve other countries, a “two documents” peace agreement could be a solution, he said.

“A peace treaty with Russia can consist of two different documents. One of them concerns security guarantees for Ukraine, the other deals directly with Ukraine’s relations with the Russian Federation,” Zelensky said.

President Zelensky explained that the document on security guarantees can be signed by countries “ready for these security guarantees”, while the other can refer to future relations. between Ukraine and Russia.

Zelensky stated that Britain, the US, Italy and Turkey have shown their readiness to guarantee Ukraine’s security, but there has been no final answer from any of these countries. The previous list of potential sponsors also included Germany, France, Poland and Israel.

“Moscow wants an agreement that solves all the problems. However, not all agree. Securing Ukraine is one thing, and agreements with Russia are another,” Zelensky said.

Despite the progress made in talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey at the end of March, Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier last week that the talks Russia-Ukraine peace talks has “returned to a deadlock”.

Mr. Putin explained that Ukraine refused to fulfill one of Russia’s important demands, which was to recognize Russian Crimea and the Donbass republics as independent.

Putin’s comments came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s announcement that Kiev had submitted new written proposals that differed from those presented in face-to-face negotiations. According to Lavrov, the new proposal does not mention the security guarantees that Kiev wants and does not include Crimea.

Obtaining security guarantees from world powers is seen by Ukraine as a key condition for agreeing to neutrality and abandoning its ambitions to join NATO.

Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine at the end of February, after accusing Kiev of failing to fulfill the terms of the Minsk agreement, first signed in 2014 and eventually Moscow’s recognition of the the self-proclaimed Donbass republics Donetsk and Lugansk. The Minsk agreement brokered by Germany and France was designed to give the breakaway regions special status in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has since demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country and will never join the military bloc. NATO led by the US. Kiev insists the Russian attack is completely unprovoked and rejects claims it is planning to retake the two republics in the Donbass by force.