After the first day of a delegation-level meeting between Russia-Ukraine in Istanbul, the Russian delegation announced steps for a “drastic reduction in military activity in the Kyiv and Chernihiv directions” and the possibility of meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, Russia’s promise to scale down military operations around Kyiv and northern Ukraine does not represent a ceasefire and talks on a formal agreement with Kyiv have a long way to go, Moscow’s lead negotiator in peace talks said on Tuesday. “This is not a ceasefire but this is our aspiration, gradually to reach a de-escalation of the conflict at least on these fronts,” Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian team, said in an interview with the TASS news agency.
A face-to-face meeting between Zelenskky and Putin is “possible” following the completion of the latest round of peace talks in Turkey’s Istanbul, a Ukrainian negotiator said Tuesday evening. “The results of today’s meeting are sufficient for a meeting at the leaders’ level,” Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said. This comes as part of two steps that the Russian delegation announced to de-escalate the conflict in Ukraine, reported CNN citing news agency RIA-Novosti. The head of the Russian delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, called the negotiations “constructive”.
Moreover, Russia is beginning to withdraw some forces, including Russian Battalion Tactical Groups (BTGs) leaving the surrounding areas around the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that enough progress was made during the talks in Istanbul to allow Putin and Zelensky to meet. “We have documents prepared now which allow the presidents to meet on a bilateral basis,” he said. “The Russian delegation is constructive and aware. This doesn’t mean that negotiations are easy. They are very difficult. But the Russian side is paying attention to the Russian proposals, to the Ukrainian proposals,” he added.
Russia promised at peace talks on Tuesday to drastically scale down its military operations around Kyiv and the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, while Ukraine proposed neutral status with international guarantees to protect it from attack. Ukrainian negotiators said they had proposed a status under which their country would not join alliances or host bases of foreign troops, but would have its security guaranteed in terms similar to “Article 5”, the collective defence clause of NATO.
They identified Israel and NATO members Canada, Poland and Turkey as countries that could help provide such guarantees. The proposals would include a 15-year consultation period on the status of Russian-annexed Crimea, and could come into force only in the event of a complete ceasefire, the Ukrainian negotiators told reporters in Istanbul. Russian Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin said Russia had decided to scale down fighting near Kyiv and Chernihiv to create the conditions for dialogue.
Meanwhile, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Mariano Grossi is in Ukraine to ensure the safety and security of the country’s nuclear facilities and help avert the risk of an accident that could endanger people and environment.
IAEA noted that the aim of Grossi’s visit is to initiate prompt safety and security support to Ukraine’s nuclear facilities, adding that it will include sending IAEA experts to prioritized facilities and shipment of vital safety and security supplies including monitoring and emergency equipment.