A blow in the water or the start of a process that might lead to a ceasefire, or even a political agreement? A first meeting between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators was to begin on Monday February 28 at the border between Belarus and Ukraine, in a climate of extreme mistrust and with limited hopes. The location of these talks, which has remained secret for security reasons, bears the code name of “fisherman’s hut”the Belarusian agency Belta said on Monday morning.
Scheduled for Sunday evening, this face-to-face encountered serious organizational difficulties. Volodymyr Zelensky refused the initial proposal of a meeting in Gomel, in Belarusian territory, “Where did Russian missiles and tanks come from”. After proposing a series of foreign cities, the Ukrainian president accepted a compromise following a discussion with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko – a meeting on the border, along the Prypiat river. These difficulties have allowed Moscow to assure, on several occasions, that Kiev did not want to negotiate.
Mr. Lukashenko, an ally of Moscow, would have guaranteed to his counterpart that the military means deployed in Belarus would remain inactive during the process, but the promise did not seem to constitute a sufficient guarantee for the security of the Ukrainian delegation. The direct route between Kiev and Belarus is still the scene of fighting. The Ukrainian delegation, made up of four or five representatives, civilians and soldiers, therefore passed through Poland, only arriving in the area on Monday morning. Kiev also says it still fears that Belarus will no longer be satisfied with simple logistical support for Moscow and will end up sending its troops in support.
A “neutral status” for Ukraine
On the Russian side, the delegation is led by Vladimir Medinski who, although he is certainly an adviser to the Kremlin, constitutes an astonishing choice: a former minister of culture with ultranationalist views, Mr. Medinski has low political credit in Russia and no have no international experience.
On the merits, the positions of the two camps also appear very far apart. The Russian side has blown hot and cold but is sticking for the moment to a maximalist position: capitulation before any other discussion. “We are ready to negotiate at any time, as soon as the Ukrainian armed forces respond to the call of our president and lay down their arms”said Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
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