While in Turkey a ray of hope seems to have emerged from the peace talksUkraine and its Western allies are skeptically awaiting the “reduction in military activity“. If Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saw signs “positive“, Russia’s announcement to reduce “radically” military maneuvers near kyiv and Chernihiv is considered by the Ukrainian army as a mere gathering of troops intended to deceive the Ukrainian military command.
In concrete terms, the Ukrainian delegation declared itself ready for neutrality, renouncing to enter into military alliances (including NATO) in exchange for appropriate security guarantees, while Russia would accept kyiv’s membership of the European Union, but not immediately. For its part, Russia continues to bomb many cities, especially in the Donbass where its war effort is now concentrated. Diplomatically, the Kremlin made it clear that the road to peace would still be long and winding.
