The Russian peace negotiating delegation (right-handed) and the Ukraine delegation sit face to face with a negotiating table between them at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, on the 29th. Istanbul = Yonhap News
Ukraine, which held its fifth round of peace negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey, with Russia said it would continue negotiations with Russia via video.
According to dpa news agency on the 31st (local time), David Harahamiya, head of Ukraine’s ruling party, said through social networking services (SNS) that “peace negotiations will resume online on Friday (April 1).” He attended the 5th peace negotiations held in Istanbul, Turkey on the 29th as a representative of Ukraine.
During the Istanbul negotiations, Ukraine is reported to have expressed its position that it could accept the neutralization that Russia had requested if its security was guaranteed. He also proposed not to attempt to recapture Crimea, which Russia annexed by force in 2014, and to consult with Russia on the status of Crimea for the next 15 years.
Russia has positively evaluated Ukraine’s written request and said it would provide an official response after reviewing it. At the negotiating table on that day, Abramovich, the owner of the English professional football team Chelsea and a new Russian conglomerate (oligarch), appeared and drew attention. Some observers speculate that he may be Putin’s ‘secret envoy’, who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, it is reported that Putin said that “the conditions are not yet ripe for a ceasefire in Ukraine”. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said during a press conference on the same day that Putin had said this in a phone call with him the day before.
Kim Cheong-hwan reporter chk@hankookilbo.com
