Ukrainian and Russian officials held talks via video link for the second day on Tuesday and are set to hold more Wednesday, a member of the Ukrainian delegation said.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, described the talks as “very difficult” but said there was room for compromise.
“We’ll continue tomorrow. A very difficult and viscous negotiation process. There are fundamental contradictions. But there is certainly room for compromise. During the break, work in subgroups will be continued,” Podolyak wrote on Twitter.
Earlier in the day, Ihor Zhovkva, Zelensky’s deputy chief of staff, said the talks between the US and Russia had become “more constructive” and said Russia is no longer demanding Ukraine surrender.
One of Russia’s key demands for a ceasefire is for Ukraine to declare its neutrality. Zelensky signaled he was willing to compromise on that issue on Tuesday when he said Ukraine must “acknowledge” that it will not become a NATO member, although he is still pleading for more Western military support.
Before the video conferences started on Monday, Ukrainian and Russian officials held three rounds of in-person talks in Belarus. Officials said they’d reached agreements on humanitarian corridors during the Belarus talks.
The two sides have accused each other of preventing civilians from fleeing conflict zones. Ukrainian officials said that about 20,000 civilians had evacuated from the city of Mariupol on Tuesday via humanitarian corridors.
The US has still not shown any sign of pushing for diplomacy between Ukraine and Russia to end the fighting. Instead, the US is fueling the conflict by sending weapons into Ukraine and imposing harsh sanctions on Russia.
Russia’s “harsh” demands are that the Ukraine be neutral like Finland. Wow, how unreasonable can they be? This Zelensky is a rodent, and not to be trusted by the Russians or anybody else.
hes a puppet, placed there.
“The US has still not shown any sign of pushing for diplomacy between Ukraine and Russia to end the fighting. ” What a surprise.The USA does not believe in diplomacy, never takes into account the needs of its “adversaries” and thrives on war as the “defense” industries are the few who gain .The rest of the US people do not matter.
Well said and terribly sad…
These negotiation are utterly irrelevant. Russia is just running out the clock while it creates its terms on the ground. They know Zelensky can’t deliver anything he might say because he doesn’t control Ukraine.
My thoughts exactly. Either Zelensky will agree to Putin’s terms or they will be imposed on Ukraine.
Ukrainian leader Zelensky and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba were all hyperbole when they thought NATO would come and fight Russia for them. Zelensky claimed that NATO membership was in the works and Kuleba even claimed that they wanted and were close to getting nuclear weapons.
With America and NATO packing arms and “advisors” into Ukraine and
outlandish propaganda from the Ukrainian government is it any wonder
that diplomacy failed?
In addition, diplomacy failed due to the right wing Azov brigade and other non-Slavic groups killing over 13,000 ethnic Slavic people in Eastern Ukraine over the past 8 years.
Throughout the Ukrainian government their hatred of Russia and ethnic Slavic people was evident. Many Ukrainians were quoted as saying that they did not care if World War III was triggered as long as they could grind away at their hatred of Russia at the expense of NATO and America.
Ukraine should never have existed as a soverign nation. The area of West Ukraine is inhabited by ethnic Lithuanian-polish people; these Ukrainian lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (Galicia, Transcarpathia, Bukovina). The area of Eastern Ukraine is inhabited by ethnic Slavic people who were part of the Russian Empire (the nine right-bank and left-bank provinces).
So in essence the conflict in Ukraine should be decided by diplomacy and
include a division of Ukraine just as Czechoslovakia was divided into
two ethnic regions.
As for comedian Zelensky and the Ukrainian clown Kuleba their days are numbered since no sane person would let them bring America and Russia to the gates of hell termed World War III.
As these clowns continue to agitate for a No Fly Zone and spew hyperbolic
propaganda they hope and dream of a wider conflict between Russia and
America. That my friends is a bridge too far!
“As for comedian Zelensky and the Ukrainian clown Kuleba their days are numbered since no sane person would let them bring America and Russia to the gates of hell termed World War III.”
Meanwhile, congress just gave the Ukrainian comdia…er President a standing ovation. So, “no sane person would let them bring America and Russia to the gates of hell termed World War III” doesn’t apply.
The insanity of left wing Democrat politicians is beyond measure and it is not only prevalent in America.
This clown and puppet Zelensky is a pop star creation, which the lemmings throughout the world will gravitate to. He is a media creation like the Kardashians and why not. The Ukrainians have used the previous $3 Billion in American aid to buy American politicians including poor old Joe Biden who always had is son Hunter collecting cash for him, i.e. “The Big Guy”.
Perhaps we are witnessing the insanity which lead to World War I. Of course, the politicians in America and elsewhere will rarely send their own sons into the fray.
Zelensky and his ilk will stop at nothing to foment a devastating war between America and Russia.
“The insanity of left wing Democrat politicians”
The senate unanimously voted that Putin is a war criminal. Lindsey Graham’s (R-Israel) work. And when congress gave Zelensky a standing ovation, I would be shocked, shocked I tell you, if the republicans remained seated. I agree with everything you say. but please, this is as bipartisan as it gets.
Well, here you are… Tell me again about “Ukrainian compromise”…
Ukraine rejects Russian neutrality proposals, says peace deal must offer security
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2022/03/16/Ukraine-rejects-Russian-neutrality-proposals-says-peace-deal-must-offer-security-
Poor Ukraine. First we overthrew their democratically elected government, then installed a comedian to lead their country.
Now the Comedian wants his no-fly zone and Amerikkka is ( rightfully) telling him, Nuh-uh.
There’s a lesson to be learned from this, Ukraine: don’t trust Uncle Sam as far as you can throw him. He’s pretty heavy, what with being weighed down with all our taxpayer dollars.
And remember that Saddam Hussein was once our Buddy until we no longer had any use for him.
That time is coming fast for you too, Ukraine.