Ukraine and Russia have made significant progress on a tentative 15-point peace plan including a ceasefire and Russian withdrawal if Kyiv declares neutrality and accepts limits on its armed forces, according to three people involved in the talks.
The proposed deal, which Ukrainian and Russian negotiators discussed in full for the first time on Tuesday, would involve Kyiv renouncing its ambitions to join Nato and promising not to host foreign military bases or weaponry in exchange for protection from allies such as the US, UK and Turkey, the people said.
Ukraine and Russia claimed to be making significant progress in settlement talks on Wednesday, with Moscow saying there was “hope for reaching a compromise.”
Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said that “absolutely specific wordings” were “close to being agreed” in negotiations with Ukraine, including security guarantees for Moscow and neutrality for Kyiv. The Kremlin said options for Ukraine modelled on Austria and Sweden were under discussion.
Lavrov’s assessment is the most upbeat yet delivered by a senior Russian figure, and came after Ukrainian president Zelensky said talks with Moscow aimed at ending the war were beginning to “sound more realistic.”
Speaking during another night of heavy Russian shelling, Zelensky gave no details of how Kyiv and Moscow’s negotiating positions had narrowed and said ongoing talks with Moscow were “difficult.”
But Zelensky and his aides have increasingly played down Ukraine’s chances of joining NATO, a prospect that Russia sees as a provocation. Instead, Kyiv has signalled that alternative “security guarantees” may be a more pragmatic option.
“All wars end in agreements . . . As I am told, the positions in the negotiations sound more realistic,” Zelensky said in a video address. “However, time is still needed for the decisions to be in Ukraine’s interests.”
Addressing Ukraine’s aspirations to join Nato, Zelensky on Tuesday said he “acknowledged” membership was not achievable. “It’s understood that Ukraine is not a member of Nato. We understand this,” he said. “For years we have been hearing about so-called open doors. But we have also now heard that we cannot go there.”
Lavrov welcomed Zelensky’s “realistic assessment” of talks and said Russia’s negotiators were also cautiously optimistic. “The negotiations are difficult for obvious reasons, but nonetheless there is a certain hope for reaching a compromise,” Lavrov said in an interview with the RBC news channel.
Moscow has called for Kyiv to formally renounce its aspiration to join Nato, which is included in Ukraine’s constitution, and to recognise the independence of two pro-Russia separatist statelets in the country’s east and Russian sovereignty over Crimea, which it seized in 2014.
The Kremlin on Wednesday pointed to Austria and Sweden as potential models for Ukrainian neutrality. Such approaches would allow Ukraine to maintain armed forces while restricting its ability to join military alliances such as Nato, or place foreign bases on its territory.
“This option is really being discussed now, and is one that can be considered neutral,” said Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Financial Times
The proposed deal, which Ukrainian and Russian negotiators discussed in full for the first time on Tuesday, would involve Kyiv renouncing its ambitions to join Nato and promising not to host foreign military bases or weaponry in exchange for protection from allies such as the US, UK and Turkey, the people said.
Ukraine and Russia claimed to be making significant progress in settlement talks on Wednesday, with Moscow saying there was “hope for reaching a compromise.”
Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said that “absolutely specific wordings” were “close to being agreed” in negotiations with Ukraine, including security guarantees for Moscow and neutrality for Kyiv. The Kremlin said options for Ukraine modelled on Austria and Sweden were under discussion.
Lavrov’s assessment is the most upbeat yet delivered by a senior Russian figure, and came after Ukrainian president Zelensky said talks with Moscow aimed at ending the war were beginning to “sound more realistic.”
Speaking during another night of heavy Russian shelling, Zelensky gave no details of how Kyiv and Moscow’s negotiating positions had narrowed and said ongoing talks with Moscow were “difficult.”
But Zelensky and his aides have increasingly played down Ukraine’s chances of joining NATO, a prospect that Russia sees as a provocation. Instead, Kyiv has signalled that alternative “security guarantees” may be a more pragmatic option.
“All wars end in agreements . . . As I am told, the positions in the negotiations sound more realistic,” Zelensky said in a video address. “However, time is still needed for the decisions to be in Ukraine’s interests.”
Addressing Ukraine’s aspirations to join Nato, Zelensky on Tuesday said he “acknowledged” membership was not achievable. “It’s understood that Ukraine is not a member of Nato. We understand this,” he said. “For years we have been hearing about so-called open doors. But we have also now heard that we cannot go there.”
Lavrov welcomed Zelensky’s “realistic assessment” of talks and said Russia’s negotiators were also cautiously optimistic. “The negotiations are difficult for obvious reasons, but nonetheless there is a certain hope for reaching a compromise,” Lavrov said in an interview with the RBC news channel.
Moscow has called for Kyiv to formally renounce its aspiration to join Nato, which is included in Ukraine’s constitution, and to recognise the independence of two pro-Russia separatist statelets in the country’s east and Russian sovereignty over Crimea, which it seized in 2014.
The Kremlin on Wednesday pointed to Austria and Sweden as potential models for Ukrainian neutrality. Such approaches would allow Ukraine to maintain armed forces while restricting its ability to join military alliances such as Nato, or place foreign bases on its territory.
“This option is really being discussed now, and is one that can be considered neutral,” said Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Financial Times
