Russia stated that it is “close” to reaching an agreement with Ukraine on security

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that he “is close” to obtaining an agreement with Ukraine on security guarantees, Russian agencies reported.

“There are a number of formulations of agreements with Ukraine on the status of neutrality and security guarantees that are about to be achieved,” Lavrov said, Russian agency Interfax reported.

Moscow and Kiev are holding negotiations, which are entering their sixth round today, to reach an agreement that will end the invasion of Ukraine ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24.

These contacts, the last two held by videoconference, deal with issues related to the achievement of a ceasefire or the future status of Ukraine which, according to Russia, cannot enter international organizations such as NATO.

“The status of neutrality (of Ukraine) is now being seriously discussed in conjunction, of course, with security assurances,” Lavrov said.

This is “exactly what President Putin said in February at one of his press conferences: Any possible option, any guarantee of security generally acceptable to Ukraine and to all countries, including Russia, requires that NATO is not expanded,” Lavrov reiterated in an interview on a local channel that reproduces Interfax.

And “this is exactly what is now being discussed in the talks, there are absolutely concrete formulations that, in my opinion, are close to agreement,” he added.

Hours earlier, Ukrainian President Volodomir Zelensky stated that positions in negotiations with Russia for a ceasefire are now more realistic, but that it still takes time for decisions to “be of interest to Ukraine.”

In a message published this morning, at the beginning of the twenty-first day of Russian invasion, Zelensky said that the positions in the negotiations “sound more realistic”, that “it is difficult, but important” to continue negotiating and that “efforts are still needed” because “every war ends in an agreement”.

Basically, the negotiations are aimed at achieving a ceasefire that would allow the establishment of precise and safe humanitarian corridors and, from there, we would enter into the more political part relating to the issues that led to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the war, which began on 24 February.

Russia fundamentally demands that Ukraine renounce membership in NATO, that it recognize the annexation of Crimea (carried out in 2014) and that it accept the independence of the “people's republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk, located in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region and recognized by Moscow.

Regarding Ukraine's accession to NATO, in a videoconference message to leaders of the Nordic and Baltic countries convened in London by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Zelenski expressed his frustration on Tuesday that, despite his alleged “open door” policy, the Alliance has not admitted his country as a member. Zelenski told the Baltic leaders that Ukraine has no choice but to “accept” that, and urged that other avenues of military collaboration be sought.

(With information from EFE)

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