Russia’s top negotiator at talks with Ukraine said on Friday, that Moscow and Kyiv had brought their positions “as close as possible” on a proposal for Ukraine to become a neutral state.
The Kremlin had on Wednesday, said that a neutral Ukraine along the lines of Sweden or Austria was being discussed at talks with Kyiv to end the three weeks of Russian military operation there.
Ukraine was said to have rejected the proposal, saying it wanted its security to be guaranteed by international forces.
“The topic of neutral status and Ukraine’s non-accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is one of the key points of the talks, this is the point on which the parties brought their positions as close as possible,” Russia’s lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, said on Friday, cited by Russian news agencies.
He, however, added that there were “nuances” when it came to “security guarantees” requested by Ukraine.
Russia, which had been conducting a military operation in Ukraine since February 24, had requested that its neighbour never joined the Western NATO military alliance, and equally demanded its “demilitarisation” and “denazification”.
Medinsky said on Friday, that negotiators were “halfway” towards an agreement on the “demilitarisation” of Ukraine.
An advisor to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mikhailo Podolyak, taking part in the negotiations, however, said his country’s position had not budged.
“Negotiation status. The statements of the Russian side are only their requesting positions,” he wrote on Twitter.
“All statements are intended, inter alia, to provoke tension in the media. Our positions are unchanged. Ceasefire, withdrawal of troops & strong security guarantees with concrete formulas,” he added.
AFP
