President Vladimir Selensky has indicated that he is ready to discuss Russia’s demand for a neutral stance on Ukraine. Selensky’s announcement comes ahead of the two countries’ preparations for the first face-to-face talks in Turkey today. Selensky told reporters that the main demand that might arise in the talks would be Ukraine’s neutrality, and that he was therefore in the process of studying it carefully. But information from Kiev suggests that regional integrity will not be compromised if the Ukrainian defense is strong.
At the same time, top Ukrainian officials say there is no possibility of progress in the face-to-face talks in Turkey. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that a direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Selensky would have the opposite effect at this stage. The meeting, which follows Russia’s announcement that it is focusing on eastern Ukraine, is seen by observers as an indication of Russia’s defeat in the Ukrainian defense. The Ukrainian army claimed that the Russian army had withdrawn from Kiev with heavy casualties.
Kirillo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s intelligence service, has accused Russia of dividing the country. Russia aims to establish “North Korea and South Korea” in Ukraine. The move is aimed at preventing people from using the Ukrainian currency by forming a parallel government in the occupied territories. If so, the country could witness a full-blown guerrilla war, Budanov said.
Meanwhile, the city mayor warned that Mariupol was on the verge of a humanitarian disaster. The mayor added that about 1,60,000 civilians are trapped. Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk has said she has no plans to open human corridors based on intelligence reports of possible Russian attacks.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he would check the video, which has been circulating on social media about the Ukrainian military’s treatment of captured Russian soldiers. He added that Biden’s remarks that Putin could not stay in power were worrying.
English Summary: Russia and Ukraine for first face-to-face discussion
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