Ukraine is ready to consider “discussing” the status of Crimea and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated.
“I’m talking about security guarantees. I think items regarding temporarily occupied territories and unrecognized republics that have not been recognized by anyone but Russia, these pseudo-republics. But we can discuss and find the compromise on how these territories will live on. What is important to me is how the people in those territories are going to live who want to be part of Ukraine,” Zelensky said, speaking to ABC News. Zelensky’s comments follow remarks by Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov on Monday calling on Ukraine to demilitarise, guarantee its non-bloc status, and recognise Crimea and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
Warning that Ukraine is “not prepared for ultimatums,” Zelensky nevertheless expressed willingness for dialogue with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
“Regarding NATO, I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago, after we understood that NATO is not prepared to accept Ukraine. The alliance is afraid of controversial things and confrontation with Russia. We never wanted to be a country that is begging for something on its knees, and we are not going to be that country and I don’t want to be that president,” Zelensky said.
Russia and Ukraine held a third round of peace talks on Monday in the region of Brest, western Belarus. Ukrainian negotiators gave their Russian counterparts assurances that humanitarian corridors declared by the Russian military on Monday would begin operating as normal. Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky expressed disappointment about a lack of progress in the talks, saying the Ukrainian side did not sign Russian-proposed protocols on issues already agreed upon in principle in the previous round of discussions. Both sides expressed readiness to continue negotiations.
Russia began a military operation in Ukraine aimed at demilitarising the country on 24 February. The mission, undertaken in coordination with Russia’s Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republic allies, was kicked off after weeks of escalating shelling, sniper and sabotage attacks by Ukrainian forces against the Donbass militias and settlements, and days after Russia formally recognised the DPR and LPR as independent states.
