Ukraine: ‘Possibility of direct Zelensky-Putin negotiations’

[이데일리 방성훈 기자] Ukraine has expressed hopes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin could directly negotiate.

According to CNN on the 2nd (local time), David Arakamia of the Ukraine negotiating team said in a televised speech on the same day, “We announced Ukraine’s position in Istanbul (peace talks). And yesterday at the video conference, I heard verbally from Russia that they do not oppose any of our positions except for the Crimean Peninsula issue. This means that we will accept our position.”

He was optimistic that sooner or later, Zelensky and Putin would be able to sit directly at the negotiating table. “Russia has hinted at the possibility of a summit,” said Aracamia. “Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called us and President Putin yesterday. He confirmed that he was ready to hold a meeting in the near future.”

“The draft document for negotiations between the two leaders has already been advanced enough that the two leaders can discuss directly. Now, our task is to prepare for the final steps on the issues that have already been addressed, and to prepare for the summit. I believe it will be there,” he said.

“Russia agreed that a referendum on Ukraine’s neutral status would be the only way out of this situation,” Aracamia said.

In this regard, CNN explained that Ukrainian government officials have presented various visions for a potential ceasefire roadmap, including securing a neutral position backed by a broad alliance of security guarantors.

According to Aracamia, China, close to Russia, could serve as a potential security guarantor for Ukraine.

“We are negotiating with China through diplomatic channels,” he said. Negotiations with China are not ready compared to countries that are actively helping us, but we are continuing to communicate twice a day,” he said.