The Russian move could be the first concrete result in the peace talks that have been going on for weeks to end the war. According to Fomin, it has been decided to drastically limit combat operations around the two cities in order to create mutual trust so that the negotiations continue to run smoothly. The Russian move should also lay the foundation for further talks.
“The decision has been taken to radically, and by a wide margin, limit military activities towards Kyiv and Chernihiv,” Fomin said. According to the deputy minister, the Russian military top will announce more details about the measure once the negotiating delegation has returned to Moscow.
Ukrainian parliamentarians skeptical about Russian announcement
During a digital meeting with their Dutch colleagues, however, Ukrainian parliamentarians were extremely skeptical about the chance of a breakthrough in the negotiations. Putin would be out to buy time, so he can strike at a later time.
The US also reacted less enthusiastically. There is what Russia says and there is what Russia does, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized. “The US is focused on the latter.” The minister said the Biden administration has yet to see any indications that Moscow is really taking the negotiations with Kyiv seriously. He called on the Russians to stop the aggression towards Ukraine and to withdraw the troops
Russia’s remarkable announcement comes after a senior military officer announced last week that the military would focus in the coming weeks on taking the Donbas and not on surrounding and taking the capital Kyiv.
According to the US, Russian forces northwest of Kyiv then began to take “defensive positions”, but the battle around the capital did not end. The General Staff must now clarify what Moscow understands by significantly phasing out combat operations.
Biden to meet with other NATO leaders on Tuesday
Shortly after the Russian announcement, it was announced that US President Biden would consult with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom about the Russian invasion later Tuesday. Whether it has to do with progress in Turkey is unclear. This meeting was not previously announced. The White House says the latest developments around the war will be discussed
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the foreign ministers of both countries will soon meet to reach an agreement. Cavusoglu, who spoke of “the most meaningful progress” to date, said a summit between Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky was also discussed.
Moscow said on Tuesday that such a summit is a possibility once a draft agreement is ready. Earlier this month, it became clear that Putin was ready for such a meeting to discuss the most difficult issues, such as Russia’s demands that Kyiv accept Russia’s annexation of Crimea and recognize separatist republics in the Donbas.
Ukraine hopes Turkey, Poland, Canada and Israel will guarantee security
During the talks, a proposal from the Ukrainian delegation was discussed to meet Russian opposition to Ukrainian membership in NATO. Kyiv is willing to agree to a neutral status that would make NATO membership impossible. In exchange, however, Ukraine wants security guarantees from various countries to prevent another Russian invasion in the future.
The Ukrainian government proposed that the NATO countries Turkey, Poland and Canada, as well as Israel, should guarantee the security of the country. Whether it is acceptable for Moscow for three NATO member states to become responsible for Ukraine’s security should become clear in the coming weeks.
