published
Both sides expressed cautiously optimistic statements. According to the Russian foreign policy expert Leonid Slutzki, a negotiated solution might be reached in the next few days.
In the struggle for a negotiated solution to the Russian war of aggression once morest Ukraine, both sides have expressed cautiously optimistic statements. “If we compare the positions of the two delegations today with those at the beginning, we will see significant progress,” said Russian foreign politician Leonid Slutsky on state television on Sunday. He is part of the delegation that has been negotiating with Ukraine for two weeks, but so far without a breakthrough.
According to Slutskis, both sides might agree on a common position “in the next few days” and sign it in the appropriate documents.
The Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak also expected “concrete results in a few days”. In a video published on Twitter, he said that Russia is not making ultimatums in the negotiations, but is listening to Ukrainian proposals.
Moscow demands that Kyiv recognize the annexed Black Sea peninsula of Crimea as Russian and the separatist areas in eastern Ukraine as independent “people’s republics”. Ukraine rejects that.
Kyiv will not give up any of its positions, Podoliak said. According to him, Ukraine is demanding an end to the war and the withdrawal of Russian troops. “There is a dialogue,” said Podoliak.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not rule out a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on state television on Sunday. “But we have to understand what the result of this meeting should be and what will be discussed there.” The conditions for direct talks at the highest level would be discussed at the delegations’ meetings.
(lea)
