Author of the article: Date of publication: 02 Apr 2022 • 6 hours ago • 2 minutes reading • 23 comments Ukrainian delegation: David Arakhamia, leader of the Servant of the People faction, Mykhailo Podolyak, political adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dz briefing after a meeting with Russian negotiators in Istanbul. Photo by MEHMET CALISKAN / REUTERS
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Ukrainian negotiator David Arahamia said peace talks with Russia were at a stage that could lead to direct contact between Zelensky and Putin.
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“Our task is to prepare a final stage not of the plan itself, but of the issues we have raised, and to prepare for a future meeting of the presidents,” he said. Both sides described the negotiations in recent days as difficult. The talks are a combination of face-to-face meetings in Turkey and virtual meetings. Arahamia said Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had called Putin and Zelensky on Friday “and seemed to confirm that they were ready to arrange a meeting in the near future.” He added: “Neither the date nor the place are known, but we believe it will most likely be in Istanbul or Ankara.”
The Kremlin says peace talks should continue, while it will hit “hostile” Ukraine
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov sits in front of a screen showing Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 22. Photo: NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA / AFP via Getty Images Russia’s talks with a “hostile” Ukraine have not been easy, but the main thing is that they are continuing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov told RIA Novosti on Saturday.
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“Ukraine is a very difficult country, very difficult for us. “In the current situation, it is hostile to us,” the agency said, referring to Belarussian television. Russia and Ukraine have held several rounds of talks, both in Turkey and by teleconference. “The main thing is that the talks are going on, either in Istanbul or somewhere else,” Peshkov said, adding that negotiations “were not easy.” Russia would like to continue talks in neighboring Belarus, but Kyiv opposed the idea, he said. Peshkov said Moscow had launched the invasion to “save” two eastern territories occupied by Russian-backed separatists in 2014 and said he believed the Russian language would be restored to its rightful place in the country. Putin said Russia’s “special operation” in Ukraine was necessary “to protect people who have been intimidated and subjected to genocide.” By this he meant those whose first or only language is Russian. Ukraine rejects genocide allegations as fabricated. – Additional reports from Bloomberg
