Volodymyr Zelenskiy says new round of negotiations ahead but that deal would have to be subject to referendum; Joe Biden rejects suggestion he was calling for regime change in Moscow. Follow live updates
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In an interview with Russian journalists and later published to the presidential office of Ukraine, president Zelenskiy said Ukraine was prepared to discuss its neutrality status as part of a peace deal.
The most important issues in the negotiations with Russia are security guarantees, neutrality and Ukraine’s nuclear-free status.”
We do not discuss ‘denazification’ and demilitarisation at all. I said that we will not sit at the negotiating table at all if we talk about some kind of demilitarisation, some kind of ‘denazification’. For me, these are completely incomprehensible things.”
Ukraine is prepared to discuss adopting a neutral status as part of a peace deal with Russia but it would have to be guaranteed by third parties and put to a referendum.”
A new round of negotiations is ahead, because we are looking for peace. Really. Without delay. As I was informed, there is an opportunity and a need for a face-to-face meeting already in Turkey. This is not bad. Let’s look at the result.
Our priorities in the negotiations are known. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are beyond doubt. Effective security guarantees for our state are mandatory. Our goal is obvious – peace and the restoration of normal life in our native state as soon as possible.”
No one will be able to hide the Ukrainian interest somewhere in political offices or in bureaucratic loopholes.