On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that he is ready to discuss Kyiv’s neutral status and other important concessions with Russia at the upcoming peace talks in Turkey on March 29-30.
In an interview with a group of Russian journalists, Zelensky said that “security guarantees, and neutrality, non-nuclear status of our state” are central to Ukraine’s agenda ahead of the first offline talks between the two war-torn neighbours since March 10. The Ukrainian leader emphasised, “We are ready to go for it,” after multiple failed diplomatic attempts at resolving the month-long war. However, Zelensky did not mention Russia’s demand regarding the demilitarisation of Ukraine.
Additionally, Zelensky mentioned that Ukraine had given up on the forceful retaking of Russia-occupied regions in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, saying that such a campaign could very well lead to a Third World War.
Ukraine is willing to become neutral & compromise over the status of the Donbass region as part of a peace deal: Zelensky.
— Stanly Johny (@johnstanly) March 27, 2022
Earlier when Erdogan said Kiev was willing to accept neutrality & other terms, its foreign ministry had dismissed it. Now Zelensky himself says he's ready.
Separately in a video address on Sunday, the Ukrainian President also mentioned that his negotiators would prioritise Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” at the upcoming talks.
Later in the interview, Zelensky also brought attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the southern port city of Mariupol, accusing the Russian military of blocking all entries and exits to the city, and restricting the supply of essential goods as well. He stated that the atrocities in Mariupol are unprecedented, saying, “I don’t even know who the Russian army has ever treated like this,” adding that even Russia’s war in Chechnya cannot be compared to what is going on in Mariupol.
Meanwhile, Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor flagged this particular interview of Zelensky with Russian journalists, urging the “necessity of refraining from publishing this interview.” Commenting on Russia censoring his interview, Zelensky remarked, “This means that they are nervous. Perhaps they saw that their citizens are beginning to question the situation in their own country.”
Happening now on the frontline near the eastern city of Avdiivka, Russian forces are using white phosphorus against Ukrainians. 📸 Photos from a Ukrainian lieutenant taken in real-time moments ago as we spoke. He described the situation as “madness.” pic.twitter.com/t2QvI2ljbU
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) March 26, 2022
Last week, both Ukraine and Russia suggested that they are willing to compromise on the ongoing war, noting that the negotiations had entered a critical phase as both sides went over the specifics regarding Russia’s three demands for ending its military operation in Ukraine. Moscow had demanded the Ukrainian government to officially recognise the statehood of Donetsk and Luhansk, deem Crimea as part of Russia, and make constitutional amendments that reject its accession to “any bloc,” namely the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.
The upcoming talks in Turkey will take place against the backdrop of Kyiv accusing Moscow of conducting chemical warfare by using white phosphorous, a controversial substance that can kill civilians, can “burn all the way to the bone,” and “poison organs like kidneys, liver, and heart, and possibly cause multiple organ failures.” In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia “has never violated international conventions.” Crucially, however, he did not reject accusations that Russia has used white phosphorous, which is “tightly regulated under international law” but not banned, as it is not designated as a chemical weapon under the Chemical Weapons Convention.