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Ukraine war: Putin-Zelenskyy talks possible after key issues settled, says Russia
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that talks between Ukraine and Russia can begin on Tuesday as the negotiators from both sides would only be arriving in Turkey later on Monday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy can meet for in-person talks only after key issues of a potential peace deal between the two countries are met, Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. His statement comes as delegations of the two countries are set to meet for a fresh round of talks in Turkey as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine entered its 33rd day.
Lavrov further said the meeting between Putin and Zelenksyy is “necessary” once Russia and Ukraine “have clarity” about solutions on all important matters.
The decision to hold fresh talks between Russia and Ukraine was taken after Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agreed over the phone on Sunday for Istanbul to host the event. The delegations were initially set to begin the talks on Monday but Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that was unlikely as the negotiators would be arriving in Turkey later in the day.
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Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Peskov further said they are adhering to the policy of “not disclosing any information about the talks” as it could disrupt the negotiation process.
Lavrov's comments come after Zelenksyy said that he is ready to discuss Ukraine's neutrality and security guarantees with Putin to secure peace between the two nations “without delay”. The Ukrainian president added that only a face-to-face meeting with Russia's leader could end the war.
On Sunday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is willing to compromise over the status of separatist Donbass region in the eastern part of the country as part of a peace deal. His comment came hours after the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, accused Russia of trying to split the east European country in two.
“It is an attempt to create North and South Korea in Ukraine,” Budanov said, referring to the division of Korea following the end of World War II.
Meanwhile, more than 100,000 people remain trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol without power, with the city mayor Vadym Boychenko calling for a total evacuation. Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said no humanitarian corridors could be created on Monday owing to reports of Russian “provocations”.
(With inputs from agencies)
