• Ukrainian official downplays progress, saying attacks continue
• Peskov indicates two countries discussing Swedish or Austrian-style options
Ukraine and Russia diplomatic talks showed some signs of development as Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday said a proposal for Ukraine to become a neutral country but retain its own armed forces “could be viewed as a certain kind of compromise.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in an address to the nation, said Russia’s “positions in the negotiations sound more realistic,” mentioning that efforts are still needed to reach an agreement.
Although Peskov did not provide any details of the neutrality proposal, he though confirmed that something modeled on Sweden or Austria is under discussion.
ALSO READ: 20 days of war, 1,761 Ukrainian casualties
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak in a text message sent to Bloomberg said only a “Ukrainian” model with enforceable security guarantees is acceptable to Kyiv.
“This means that the signatories do not stand aside in case of attack against Ukraine as they do now.”
Downbeat tone
Late Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin accused Kyiv of not being serious enough about seeking compromises as the war reached its 21st day.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has also indicated that there is some hope for negotiation.
Lavrov said Moscow’s demands for Ukraine’s neutrality are under serious discussion.
However, a Ukrainian official who has direct knowledge of the talks told Bloomberg that the positive tone from Russia was more about Kremlin wanting sanctions pressure to be eased than about getting toward a deal.
The official pointed out that Russian attacks on cities were continuing unabated, and the negotiations had not yet progressed significantly.
ICJ ruling
The International Court of Justice on Wednesday ordered Russia to immediately cease its military operations in Ukraine.
In an interim judgment, the ICJ ruled that Ukraine “has a plausible right not to be subjected to military operations by the Russian Federation for the purpose of preventing and punishing an alleged genocide.”
“The Russian Federation shall immediately suspend the military operations that it commenced on February 24, 2022, on the territory of Ukraine,” judges said in a 13-2 decision mentioning that the tribunal is “profoundly concerned” by Moscow’s use of force.
Picture Credit: Forbes