Ukraine and Russia have made “significant progress” on a hypothetical 15-point peace plan, which would also include a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops in the event that Kiev declares neutrality and accepts restrictions imposed on own armed forces. This was reported by the “Financial Times”, which refers to sources involved in the negotiations. The proposal, which would have been discussed for the first time on Monday by Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, according to sources in the financial daily, calls for Kiev to renounce its ambition to join NATO and undertake not to have military bases or foreign armaments on its territory in change of protection from allies such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Turkey.
The very nature of Western guarantees on Ukraine’s security and the fact that these may be acceptable to Moscow appears to be the main obstacle to an agreement, as well as the status of the Ukrainian territories seized by Russia in 2014. Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky , told the Financial Times that any agreement must provide that “the troops of the Russian Federation in any case leave the territory of Ukraine”, attacked with the invasion that began on February 24, particularly the southern regions along the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, as well as the territory east and north of Kiev. Ukraine would still keep its army. Podolyak explained to the daily that “humanitarian issues, including linguistic issues, are only discussed through the prism of Ukraine’s exclusive interests”.
However, a critical point remains: Kiev’s recognition of the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the independence of two breakaway states in the eastern border region of Donbass. A request that until now the country led by Zelensky has never accepted.