Talks between Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday in Istanbul were “substantial” and pave the way for a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky to end the conflict that began more than a month ago, said estimated the negotiators of the two camps after three hours of discussions.
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At the end of these negotiations which were held at the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul, the head of the Russian delegation and representative of the Kremlin, Vladimir Medinski, reported “substantial discussions” and said that the “clear” proposals of the Ukraine with a view to an agreement would be “studied very soon and submitted to President” Vladimir Putin.
He felt that a summit between MM. Putin and Zelensky would be possible in the event of an agreement to end hostilities. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24, Moscow had always dismissed this proposal from kyiv.
Sign that the discussions have advanced, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin announced that Moscow would “radically reduce (its) military activity in the direction of kyiv and Cherniguiv”, in the north of the country, negotiations on an agreement on Ukraine’s neutrality “entering a practical phase”.
For his part, the Ukrainian chief negotiator David Arakhamia also considered that the conditions were now “sufficient” for a summit meeting between MM. Putin and Zelensky.
“International Agreement”
Mr. Arakhamia specified that kyiv demanded an “international agreement” signed by several guarantor countries which “will act in a manner analogous to Article 5 of NATO and even in a more firm manner”. Article 5 of the Atlantic Alliance treaty stipulates that an attack against one of its members is an attack against all.
Mr. Arakhamia cited, among the countries that Ukraine would like to have as guarantors, the United States, China, France and Great Britain – permanent members of the UN Security Council – but also Turkey, Germany, Poland and Israel.
kyiv also asks that this agreement in no way prohibit Ukraine’s entry into the EU, and proposes that Crimea and the Donbass territories under the control of pro-Russian separatists be “temporarily excluded”.
To resolve the specific issue of Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, kyiv is proposing “15 years” of separate Russian-Ukrainian talks, according to another Ukrainian negotiator, Mykhaïlo Podoliak.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu considered that the two camps had thus achieved the “most significant progress since the start of the negotiations”.
Both delegations were welcomed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who urged them to put an end to this “tragedy”. The Russian invasion has already forced nearly 3.9 million Ukrainians to flee their country, according to the UN.
The previous face-to-face negotiation session, on March 10 at the level of foreign ministers in Antalya, Turkey, had not led to any progress. The discussions have since continued by videoconference.
Shortly after these announcements, the White House announced that US President Joe Biden would meet at 1:15 p.m. GMT on the situation in Ukraine with French, British, German and Italian leaders.
The financial markets immediately reacted favorably: the companies most exposed to Russia jumped on the Paris Stock Exchange, as did the euro and the rouble, while the two oil benchmarks lost more than 5%.
Abramovich mediator
The Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, targeted by European sanctions and who is trying to mediate between Moscow and kyiv, was present at the Istanbul negotiations.
After a meeting in the Ukrainian capital in early March, the billionaire showed symptoms that suggest possible poisoning, a source familiar with the matter told AFP on Monday, confirming information from the Wall Street Journal.
AFP
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, dismissed the poisoning charges, saying they were “part of the information war”. A Ukrainian official had also called for these “speculations” to be dismissed.
As for the battles on the ground, the Russian Minister of Defense estimated that “on the whole, the objectives of the first stage (of the offensive launched on February 24) were achieved”.
“The military potential of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been significantly reduced, which makes it possible to focus attention and efforts on the main goal: the liberation of Donbass,” Sergei Shoigu said.
Ukrainian authorities announced on Monday that they had “liberated” Irpin, the scene of fierce fighting 20 km northwest of kyiv.
AFP
On Tuesday, the situation seemed relatively calm in this locality, where we heard sporadic gunfire, however, according to AFP journalists.
Soldiers nevertheless blocked journalists’ access to the destroyed bridge leading into the city, explaining that Ukrainian forces were still “clearing” the area.
“In my opinion, about 70 to 80% of the city is liberated, the outer limits are still in the hands” of the Russians, Roman Kovalevskiï, 48, a resident of the city told AFP. empty petrol cans to get supplies in kyiv.
In the regions of Cherniguiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Donbass, and in the south of Ukraine, “the situation remains tense everywhere, very difficult”, however underlined Monday evening President Zelensky.
Strike at Mykolaiv
4 km east of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, close to the Russian border, Ukrainian soldiers regained control of the small village of Mala Rogan on Monday, AFP noted, which saw two bodies of soldiers Russians lying in an alley and several destroyed Russian tanks.
In the south, a Russian strike hit Tuesday morning the building of the regional administration of Mykolaiv, a city near Odessa which has experienced a respite in the bombardments in recent days.
AFP
At least seven people died and 22 others injured, according to a new assessment given by President Zelensky during a videoconference intervention before the Danish Parliament.
“There were no military aims in Mykolaiv, the inhabitants of Mykolaiv presented no threat against Russia,” he said.
AFP journalists saw rescuers pull two bodies from the rubble, and the building was gutted to its full height.
Resumption of humanitarian corridors
In the south, three humanitarian corridors were set up on Tuesday, including from the besieged city of Mariupol, after a suspension of civilian evacuations on Monday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Telegram.
Mr. Zelensky on Tuesday accused the Russians of “crimes against humanity” in Mariupol, a strategic port city on the Sea of Azov which the Russian army has been trying to seize since the end of February, where around 160,000 people are still believed to be stuck.
“They even blow up shelters when they know full well that civilians are hiding there, women, children and old people,” he added.
According to Tetyana Lomakina, adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, “about 5,000 people” were buried there, but there could actually be “around 10,000 dead”.
Emmanuel Macron was to speak with Vladimir Putin on the phone at 2:30 p.m. GMT “to secure the humanitarian operation in Mariupol”, if possible “in the very next few days”, announced the Elysee. The French president reproached Russia for a “non-respect of international humanitarian law”.
Plant security
Another subject of concern: the situation of nuclear power plants in Ukraine, some of which are threatened by the fighting. The International Atomic Energy Agency said its director general was in Ukraine “for discussions with government officials” to provide “technical assistance” to ensure the safety of nuclear facilities.
On the economic front, the French brand Decathlon announced on Tuesday that it would suspend its activity in Russia, citing supply problems. The other two brands in the Mulliez galaxy, Leroy Merlin and Auchan, are continuing their activity in Russia despite the criticism.