“Our goal is obvious – peace and the restoration of normal life in our homeland as soon as possible,” Zelensky said in a midnight videotaped message that also set his red lines in the negotiations. “Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are unquestionable. “Effective security guarantees for our state are mandatory.” He used a video interview with independent Russian media to signal his willingness to discuss the idea of Ukraine adopting a “neutral regime” and also to compromise on the status of the eastern Donbass region in order to secure a peace deal with Russia. However, he said he was not prepared to discuss demilitarization and said Ukrainians would have to vote in a referendum to approve their country adopting a neutral regime. Several rounds of talks have already failed to end the war sparked by the Russian invasion, which is now in its second month. The latest round of talks, due to begin on Monday, comes amid warnings that the situation in the besieged city of Mariupol is now “catastrophic” and as Joe Biden sought to mitigate the effects of his weekend statement that Vladimir Putin ” he can not stay in power. “ When asked on Sunday if he wanted to see Putin step down from his post in Russia, he simply said “no”. The president’s initial remarks were quickly withdrawn by the White House and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who insisted the United States had no “strategy for regime change in Russia – or anywhere else.” The United Kingdom, Germany and France also distanced themselves from Biden’s apparently unplanned observation. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday he would not use Biden’s words, adding that he considered it his duty to “achieve a truce first and then withdraw completely”. [Russian] troops by diplomatic means “. He told France 3 television: “If we want to do that, we can not escalate it into words or deeds.” In his video speech, Zelensky lamented the Russian invasion that has killed thousands and destroyed many cities, amid questions about whether a near-impasse in fighting has forced Moscow to soften its demands. The Ukrainian military claimed in its latest operational report that Russia had withdrawn its troops from Kyiv after suffering heavy casualties. Meanwhile, the UK Department of Defense has stated that Moscow is “effectively isolating Ukraine from international maritime trade” by blocking the Black Sea and continues to launch sporadic missile strikes against targets across Ukraine. Concerns remain over Russia’s sincerity in the talks, with Ukraine’s intelligence chief, General Kyrylo Budanov, suggesting that Putin is seeking to divide Ukraine into two, mimicking the post-war division between North and South Korea. Budanov said he believed Putin had reconsidered his plan for full occupation after failing to quickly occupy the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and overthrow Zelensky’s government, raising the prospect of a long-running conflict. About 170,000 civilians remain trapped in Mariupol without adequate food, water or medicine as the southern port city is reduced to dust by Russian bombing, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry. Zelensky claimed that 2,000 children from Mariupol had been arrested by Russia, according to a press release issued by the president’s office late Sunday. “According to our data, more than 2,000 children were deported. Which means they were abducted. Because we do not know the exact locations of all these children. There were children with and without parents. “It’s a disaster, it’s horrible.” Zelensky said the city remained under siege by the Russian military, describing the situation as a humanitarian catastrophe. “Food, medicine and water cannot be delivered. “Russian troops are bombing humanitarian aid convoys and killing drivers.” France, Greece and Turkey hope to launch a “humanitarian operation” to evacuate civilians within days, according to Macron, who has sought Putin’s approval. In other developments:
The UN estimates that at least 1,100 civilians have been killed and more than 10 million displaced in a catastrophic war that has lasted much longer than Moscow expected. Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister has accused Russia of “irresponsible” actions around the occupied Chernobyl power plant that could send radiation to much of Europe and urged the United Nations to send a risk assessment mission to on her Telegram account. The Hollywood A-listers took note of the civilian casualties with a minute’s silence at Sunday’s Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles, urging support for “the people of Ukraine who are currently facing invasion, conflict and prejudice within their borders.”
