Zelenski affirms that the negotiations with Russia are now more “realistic”

The president of Ukraine, Volodomir Zelenski, affirmed in a speech published this morning that the positions in the negotiations with Russia for a ceasefire are now more realistic, but that time is still needed for the decisions “to be in the interest of Ukraine”. .

In his last message, delivered at the beginning of the twenty-first day of the Russian invasion, Zelensky said that the negotiations continue, that “it is difficult, but important” to negotiate and that “efforts are still needed” because “every war ends in an agreement”.

“Meetings continue. As I have been told, the positions in the negotiations sound more realistic. However, time is still needed for decisions to be in the interest of Ukraine,” Zelensky said in his message.

Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will resume on Wednesday and Zelenski’s adviser, Mikhailo Podoliak, said at the end of the second day of this third round of negotiations, although there are still great differences between the parties, it is still possible to reach a compromise.

Basically, the negotiations try to achieve a ceasefire that allows the establishment of precise and safe humanitarian corridors and, from there, they would enter the most political part related to the issues that motivated the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the war, which It started on February 24.

Russia fundamentally demands that Ukraine renounce its membership in NATO, that it recognize the annexation of Crimea (carried out in 2014) and that it accept the independence of the “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk, located in the eastern Ukrainian region of the Donbas and recognized by Moscow.

Pessimistic about Ukraine joining NATO

With respect to Ukraine’s entry into NATOin a videoconference message to leaders of the Nordic and Baltic countries convened in London by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Zelensky expressed his frustration on Tuesday that, despite its so-called “open door” policy, the Alliance has not admitted his country as a member.

Zelensky told Baltic leaders that Ukraine had no choice but to “accept” this, and urged them to seek other avenues of military collaboration.

In his recorded message this morning, the Ukrainian president also accused Russia of committing “new and obvious war crimes” and that there were so many bombs that the Russians had thrown at them that “it is impossible to count them.”

Visit of the Prime Ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia

He also recognized the importance of visit that the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia made to kyiv yesterday: “When our kyiv is a target for invaders, it is especially important and especially brave to be here, together with us, together with friends. This is how leadership is shown.”

And he also referred to the speech scheduled for today by teleconference before the United States Congress: “Today I would like to thank President (Joe) Biden and all the friends of Ukraine in the United States for the new support package of 13.6 billion dollars for our country, our people. We see it as the first step towards the full restoration of Ukraine.”