Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that despite the brutality unfolding in Bucha and other cities near Kyiv, Ukraine is “still ready” for negotiations with Moscow.
Speaking after meeting with Austrian Prime Minister Karl Nehammer, who visited Kiev on Saturday, Zelenskiy said: “Ukraine always says it is ready for negotiations and is looking for ways to somehow end this war.”
Pointing out that Russia may be involved in a new offensive, Zelenskiy said: “Unfortunately, parallel to this, we see that preparations continue for an important clash in the east of our country, which some describe as decisive.” “We are ready to clash and, in parallel, to end this war through diplomacy,” Zelensky added.
“We see that weapons, equipment and troops are concentrated in the east and south, preparing to invade another region of our country,” Zelenskiy said, adding that a new attack by Russia depends on “many factors”. Zelenskiy said that Ukraine’s power, the weapons its partners will provide to Ukraine, and Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s willingness to move forward are among these factors.
Turkey strives for mediation
According to Turkey, which is trying to mediate between Ukraine and Russia to achieve a ceasefire and peace, both sides want to continue negotiations. According to AFP’s report, a senior government official said, “Both Russia and Ukraine are willing to continue negotiations in Turkey. However, they are far from agreeing on a common text.” The government official added that no date has yet been set for the next negotiation.
According to the information provided, the status of the Donbas region and Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014; There are points on which no consensus can be reached.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also said in a statement in Brussels on Thursday that negotiations at the level of foreign ministers could continue until mid-April, despite the images from Buça overshadowing the “relative positive atmosphere”.
The last face-to-face meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations was held in Istanbul with the mediation of Turkey on March 29, and the Ukrainian delegation demanded a security guarantee in return for accepting the neutrality status in this meeting. Among the guarantor countries, Turkey was also mentioned.
DW,AFP / JD,ET