The third round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Belarus concluded on Monday with little progress made except for an agreement on logistics for humanitarian corridors, the head of Ukraine’s delegation said.
“The third round of negotiations has ended. There are small positive subductions in improving the logistics of humanitarian corridors,” Mykhailo Podoliyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, wrote on Twitter.
“Intensive consultations have continued on the basic political block of the regulations, along with a ceasefire and security guarantees,” Podoliyak added.
Russia and Ukraine agreed to establish humanitarian corridors to help evacuate civilians during talks last week. Since then, the two sides have blamed each other for the corridors not working properly.
Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation, said Ukraine gave Russia “reassurances” on the corridors during Monday’s talks. “We put the matter bluntly. We hope that these corridors will finally start working from tomorrow. The Ukrainian side gave us reassurances,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Russia proposed humanitarian corridors that would evacuate civilians to Russia and Belarus. But Ukraine rejected the idea of civilians entering the territories from where Russia launched its attack on Ukraine, calling it “completely immoral.”
On the issue of a political settlement to end the fighting, Medinsky said nothing was resolved. Ahead of the talks, the Kremlin said Russia would stop its assault “in a moment” if Ukraine agreed to its terms.
The terms include Ukraine changing its constitution to make the country officially neutral, recognizing Crimea as Russian territory, and recognizing the independence of the breakaway republics of Donestk and Luhansk in the Donbas. Medinsky said the talks will continue, and another round is expected to be held in Belarus soon.
Russia is just going through the motions, knowing the Ukrainians are incapable of agreement. Meanwhile, Russia will produce its demands by creating facts on the ground. All the main forces of Ukraine are now encircled. Demands for surrender to these forces will be made. If they don’t surrender, they will be either annihilated (the concentrated forces near Donbass) or put under siege until they surrender (the cities, including Kiev.) Essentially, the war is over. It will likely be officially over by end of the month.
Don’t be so sure of that.
Ukraine wasn’t planning this war, NATO was.
Human shields will complicate things for the Russians, as will spring thaw.
Spring thaw will have zero effect. Whatever effect it does have will equally impact Ukrainian formations – obviously. NATO didn’t plan this – the neocons did. NATO is absolutely unable to intervene (which is not to say they won’t try.)
Spring thaw places attacking forces at a mobility and supply train disadvantage except in the cities themselves, where other mobility issues arise.
Dug-in defending forces in civilian areas have an advantage.
Ukraine has mounted limited counter-offensives; Russia needs mud-free mobility far more.
Zelensky’s negotiating team can’t really back up anything they agree too. They control very little on the ground.
Ironically, if Russia had gone in with Shock and Awe, especially destroying all neo-Nazi PMU assets, Zelensky would be free to negotiate in good faith. His warmongering ‘allies’ won’t accept anything less than forever war.
The key thing for Russia and most Ukrainians, is keeping Zelensky alive.
For NATO, President Zelensky is a liability. They would prefer a government -in-exile, forever unable to negotiate in good faith or even surrender, that they can unplug at any time for non-compliance.
Last chance for Ukraine to get with the program…
Announcement from Russian Ministry of Defense on Telegram about a
(localized) ceasefire to enable humanitarian corridors. Let’s see if
this one works, unlike the last one.
In order to conduct a humanitarian operation:
1. From 10:00 a.m. (Moscow time) on March 8, 2022, the Russian
Federation declares cease-fire and is ready to provide humanitarian
corridors:
from Kiev and adjacent settlements to the Russian Federation through
the territory of the Republic of Belarus to Gomel city with delivery by
air to the Russian Federation, in the southern direction – in agreement
with the Ukrainian side;
from Chernigov through the territory of the Republic of Belarus to
Gomel with delivery by air transport to the Russian Federation, in the
southern direction – in agreement with the Ukrainian side;
from Sumy by two routes to Poltava and to the territory of the
Russian Federation to Belgorod – then by air, rail and road transport to
selected destinations or temporary accommodation, in the southern
direction – in agreement with the Ukrainian side;
from Kharkov to the territory of the Russian Federation to Belgorod –
then by air, rail and road transport to selected destinations or
temporary accommodation, to Lvov, Uzhgorod, Ivano-Frankivsk – in
agreement with the Ukrainian side;
from Mariupol by two routes to the territory of the Russian
Federation to Rostov-on-Don through Novoazovsk and Taganrog cities, to Zaporozhye – in agreement with the Ukrainian side.
2. This statement should be immediately brought to the Ukrainian
side (Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Irina Vereshchuk) proposed to
coordinate the specified routes and the start time of humanitarian
corridors by 03:00 a.m. (Moscow time) on March 8, 2022, and to submit
written approval of these approaches, including guarantees to ensure
security on the declared routes of humanitarian operations by the
Ukrainian authorities to the Joint Coordination Headquarters of the
Russian Federation for Humanitarian Response in Ukraine by the specified time.
The Ukrainian side have to publish this statement in Ukrainian and
Russian languages in Ukrainian media by 03:00 a.m. (Moscow time) on
March 8, 2022.
3. This statement (in Russian and English) should immediately be
brought to the attention of the embassies of foreign states, relevant
structures of the UN, the OSCE, the ICRC and other international
organizations through all available information resources, including the
media.
4. The Ukrainian side should also inform, in accordance with the
established procedure, about the planned humanitarian operation before
03:00 a.m. (Moscow time) on March 8, 2022, representatives of the
embassies of foreign states, specialized structures of the UN, the OSCE,
the ICRC and other international organizations located on the territory
of Ukraine, through all available information resources, including
Ukrainian media.
5. For the purpose of implementation of measures for the
evacuation of civilians and foreign citizens along agreed routes during
the humanitarian operation, from 09:30 a.m. (Moscow time) on March 8,
2022, organize continuous communication between the Russian and
Ukrainian sides for the mutual exchange of information on the
preparation and carrying out the evacuation of civilians and foreign
citizens.
6. This emergency statement is subject to immediate publication
and communication to all interested parties through all available
information resources, including media.
#MoD #Russia #Ukraine #HumanitarianCorridor
@mod_russia_en
Ukraine murdered their head negotiator because he was sympathetic to Russia. You can never trust a Ukrainian particularly Hunter Biden, oh sorry Joe Biden, oh sorry Victoria Nuland, oh sorry Alexander Vindaman, oh sorry Congresswoman Victoria Spartz, oh I meant that joke Zelensky.