"Let's not fool ourselves with the Kremlin's recent claim", the White House warns. "The signals from the peace talks with Russia could be called positive, but Russian bombing has not stopped," says Volodymyr Zelensky, adopting similar caution."
At yesterday's negotiations in Istanbul, Ukraine agreed to neutrality over security guarantees, and Russia agreed to reduce operations in Kiev and Chernihiv. The fact remains that no ceasefire has been reached. Nevertheless, this is the first serious record of intentions by Russian and Ukrainian negotiators. BBC correspondent Tom Bayman described the outcome "as a significant moment."
Beyond intentions, however, actions matter. Many analysts believe Russia is buying time. It is counting on basic progress on the negotiating front so that it can regroup its forces. "Russia has yet to show any seriousness in the peace talks with Ukraine and seems to be using the negotiations as a tactic to gain valuable ... breathing space," comments a Western official."
Although it was US officials who argued that Russia is withdrawing some of its military forces from the outskirts of Kiev, the White House and the Pentagon do not seem to agree. "The troop movements around Kiev constitute a redeployment of forces, not an actual withdrawal," they argue. In this climate, US President Joe Biden and four European leaders agreed last night to continue sanctions against Russia. The US, Britain, France, France, Germany and Italy reiterated their determination "to increase the price Russia pays for its brutal attack on Ukraine". In particular, the UK wants to see "the complete withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine."
Whatever the head of the Russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky called the talks "constructive." Whatever Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that "the most substantial progress in the negotiations was made today," Joe Biden did not share the optimism. Speaking to reporters at the White House after his meeting with Singapore's prime minister, he said: "We'll see. I don't see anything in it until I see what their actions are. We'll see if they follow what they have said."
The head of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic," Dennis Pusilin, said today that he may consider joining Russia once it takes control of the entire Donetsk region. "The main goal is to reach the constitutional borders of the republic. Then we will determine it," he said. Even though he has not clarified with certainty what the "Z" symbol is, it seems to represent support for Russian forces. So far, three German states (Berlin, Bavaria and Lower Saxony) have announced that anyone waving the "Z" as a pro-war symbol could face up to three years in prison! The Ukrainian Foreign Minister called on other countries to follow Germany's example. "Z stands for Russian war crimes, bombed cities, thousands of murdered Ukrainians," he posted on social media.
Repeated explosions were heard last night outside the Russian town of Belgorod, near the border with Ukraine, the governor of the region said, without specifying what they were about. Although it looked like an exchange of fire, it does not compare to the dramatic situation experienced by civilians, including Greek journalists. In Irpin, the ERT crew took refuge in a bunker during a fierce Russian attack.
The suburb of Irpin, 20 km from Kiev, was approached by Russian troops. The British Ministry of Defence, however, said that Ukrainian forces have managed to push the Russians back from many positions, especially with counter-attacks on the outskirts of Kiev. Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksii Arestovich, in fact, said that Ukrainian military casualties are lower than Russian losses.
At the same time, Ukraine's State Emergency Service has confirmed that fires continue around the nuclear reactor in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Ukraine's deputy prime minister called on the United Nations Security Council to declare a special protection status for the nuclear plant.
In a video message late last night, Volodymyr Zelensky explained that Kiev sees no reason to believe the words of Russian negotiators, adding that Ukraine can only trust "tangible results."
The French president spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart about the negotiations, Russia's demand to be paid in rubles for the gas it supplies to the European Union and humanitarian aid in Mariupol. "In order to find a solution to the difficult humanitarian situation in this city, Ukrainian nationalist fighters must stop resisting and lay down their arms," Vladimir Putin replied.
Source: protothema.gr
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