Financial Times: Russia ready to accept Ukraine’s accession to EU

Four people who knew about the ceasefire talks between the two sides told the Financial Times that Russia would be ready to accept Ukraine’s accession to the European Union if it renounced NATO and did not join the military. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet in the fourth round of face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul on Tuesday.

Moscow and Kiev have been discussing a ceasefire as part of a possible deal, with anonymity saying that Ukraine should abandon its bid to join NATO in exchange for security guarantees and the possibility of joining the EU. Financial Times. As part of the deal, Ukraine will abandon NATO and will not run foreign military bases on its border and will not seek to develop a nuclear weapon.

However, sources in the British Financial Daily said that it was important to note that the talks were not yet finalized.

Why is Russia ready to make concessions?

Four sources said the ceasefire draft document made no mention of Russia’s three basic initial demands: “denationalization”, “militarization” and regularization of the Russian language in Ukraine.

Russia’s offer of concessions in the wake of the ground offensive in Ukraine, which began a month ago, has been largely thwarted not only by Ukrainian opposition beyond expectations, but also by Russian operational shortcomings.

On the other hand, the Financial Times mentions. Ukraine and its Western supporters are skeptical of Vladimir Putin’s intentions, fearing that the talks could only be used by the Russian president to regain his exhausted strength and plan a new offensive.

Someone who knew about the talks said Ukraine was worried Russia changes its position almost every dayIn terms of military pressure and conditions such as Kiev’s “militarization”.

Russia can not talk about progress and does not want it, because it will only damage the negotiation process, “Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Interfax on Monday. “For now, unfortunately, we can’t talk about significant achievements and progress,” he added.

Countries where the security of Ukraine is guaranteed

Said David Arahmia, chairman of the parliamentary committee of the party of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky and a member of the Kiev Negotiating Committee. FT That the parties Security guarantees and close agreement with Ukraine on EU initiative, But he stressed the need to be wary of real opportunities for significant improvement.

Ukraine will receive what Arahamia calls “the formula closest to NATO’s Section 5” – according to which members of the coalition must help each other if they are attacked – and will come from countries such as security guarantees. Russia, United States, Great Britain, Canada, France, Germany, China, Italy, Poland, Israel and Turkey.

FT sources said that potential guarantors have not yet agreed to support the security of Ukraine. “But so far we have no denials,” Arahmia added.

President Jelensky said Sunday that any possible agreement would be approved by those parliaments with guarantees. Zhelensky said that before amending its constitution (to become a military-neutral country), Ukraine must agree to a referendum, which could take at least a year.

The biggest blockage

Sources said the biggest stalemate – Ukraine’s attempt to reclaim its territories seized by Russia since 2014 – could be resolved through possible direct talks between Presidents Putin and Zhelensky. FT.

Russia has demanded that Ukraine recognize Moscow’s control of the Crimean peninsula, which Vladimir Putin annexed in 2014, as well as two pro-Russian separatist-held territories in the eastern Donbass region.

“We will never recognize any boundaries other than those found in our Declaration of Independence,” Arahmia said. “This is a very important point,” said an aide to the Ukrainian president.

For now, sources say, Ukraine is ready to discuss some humanitarian issues, such as restoring Crimea’s water supply and not trying to recapture the peninsula. FT.

If the ceasefire is observed, the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Russia will meet to finalize security guarantees and to finalize other social agreements, such as the protection of the Russian language in Ukraine. Only then will an attempt be made to hold a meeting between Putin and Zhelensky, although on Monday Peskov said there was “no movement” to outline such a meeting.

Author: Luana Pavaluca