Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are set to resume face-to-face peace talks in Turkey this week, with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continuing to insist on the territorial integrity of his country.
This comes despite earlier suggestions that he was ready for a compromise on the eastern Donbas region, parts of which are controlled by Russian-backed separatist forces.
The new talks are set to take place in Turkey’s largest city of Istanbul either Monday or Tuesday.
Zelensky says he wants peace as soon as possible but has set out his negotiating red lines.
“Our priorities in the negotiations are known. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are beyond doubt. Effective security guarantees for our state are mandatory,” he said.
“Our goal is obvious,” he added, “peace and the restoration of normal life of our native state as soon as possible.”
But in comments made to Russian journalists earlier in the day, Zelenskyy had adopted a different tone, saying Ukraine was willing to assume neutral status and compromise over the status of the eastern Donbas region as part of a peace deal.
In the video call that the Kremlin pre-emptively warned Russian media not to report, Zelenskyy said: “Security guarantees and neutrality, non-nuclear status of our state. We are ready to go for it.”
“This is the most important point. It was the first and principal point for the Russian Federation, as far as I recall.”