Ukraine conflict before diplomatic solution?

Negotiations near Chernobyl - Lukashenko suddenly as a mediator

Created: 02/27/2022Updated: 02/27/2022 15:09

By: Bedrettin Bölükbasi, Franziska Schwarz

In the Ukraine conflict, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko suddenly appears as a mediator.

© picture alliance/dpa |

Sergei Karpukhin/Pool

Russian politicians do not want to negotiate in Poland, not in Hungary, but in Belarus.

Selenskyj has now declared himself ready for talks.

The news ticker.

• Ukraine conflict: According to the Kremlin under Vladimir Putin*, a delegation is ready to negotiate.

• Moscow has given the country in a state of war a decision deadline

  (update from February 27, 12:37 p.m.).

• After Zelenskyj reacted positively to the Kremlin's proposal, the delegations now want to meet

  (see update from February 27, 2:55 p.m.)

  .

• This

  news ticker about diplomatic events and international reactions in connection with the Ukraine war

  is continuously updated.

• You can read all information about the war in Ukraine here.

  You can find more information on our topic page on the Ukraine conflict*.

Update from February 27, 2:55 p.m .:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine is ready to negotiate with Russia.

In talks with the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko, an agreement was reached on a meeting of the Ukrainian and Russian delegations on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border near the Pripyat River, Zelenskyy informed Telegram.

The negotiations would take place without preconditions.

Lukashenko has agreed to ensure that all planes, helicopters and missiles are on Belarusian soil during the talks.

Ukraine conflict: The Kremlin reacts positively to Russia's request for negotiations in Kiev

Update from February 27, 2:25 p.m .:

In the war with Russia, according to information from Moscow, the Ukrainian side is now ready for peace negotiations in Belarus.

"The readiness was expressed to come to the negotiations in the Gomel region," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to the Interfax agency.

"The Russian side and the Russian delegation on the ground are fully prepared for the negotiations," said Peskov.

The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, made a similar statement.

Ukraine has agreed to peace talks with Russia.

A Russian and a Ukrainian delegation will meet at the Ukraine-Belarusian border on the Prypiat River near Chernobyl, the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.

There are no conditions.

The meeting is apparently mediated by Belarus ruler Lukashenko.

Update from February 27, 2:20 p.m.:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spoken to Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko on the phone.

This was announced by Zelenskyy's office in Kiev on the Telegram news channel.

Details were not initially given.

Belarusian state media confirmed that the conversation took place.

It was probably about possible negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

According to the Kremlin, representatives of Moscow had traveled to the city of Gomel in neighboring Belarus.

However, Zelenskyj had rejected talks in Belarus in the morning and instead suggested holding them in a neutral country.

Previously, Lukashenko had called on Ukraine to come to Belarus for negotiations.

“We are waiting, everyone is waiting in Gomel.

When they come, there will be negotiations," he was quoted as saying by the Belarusian state news agency BelTA.

Update from February 27, 12:37 p.m

.: The Kremlin has apparently set a deadline for

the Ukrainian government in its offer of talks

She should decide by 3 p.m. (local time) whether she accepts it.

That's what Putin adviser Vladimir Medinski said, according to the US channel CNN of the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti.

“Once we receive confirmation, we will meet our counterparts promptly.

We stand for peace,” Medenski is quoted as saying in the report.

He is part of the Russian delegation, which says it is waiting for a sign in Gomel, Belarus.

"If talks are rejected, the Ukrainian side will bear all responsibility for the bloodbath," Medinski said.

Kremlin diplomatic efforts in Ukraine conflict: Britain skeptical

Update from February 27, 11:15 a.m .:

Great Britain apparently does not believe the Russian information on the Kremlin’s willingness to engage in dialogue.

Secretary of State Liz Truss stressed that she did not trust Russia's efforts.

"If the Russians are serious about negotiations, then they have to withdraw troops from Ukraine first," she told Sky News.

"You can't negotiate with a gun pointed at Ukrainians' heads," she insisted, adding, "Well, to be honest, I don't trust the alleged aspirations for negotiations." She also argued that the war against Ukraine could be the end of Russian President Vladimir Putin and there will be further sanctions in the coming days.

Ukraine conflict: Kremlin apparently announces readiness for dialogue - Russian delegation arrives in Belarus

First report:

Kiev/Moscow - How serious is this offer?

A Russian delegation has traveled to Belarus for negotiations with Ukraine.

At least that's what the Kremlin says.

They had already arrived there in the city of Gomel.

"We are ready to start these negotiations in Gomel," said Putin* spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Sunday.

This is reported by the Russian agency Tass.

According to the German Press Agency (dpa), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj was open.

However, he rejected talks in Belarus.

Negotiations in the Ukraine conflict?

Selenskyj advisor speaks of "tactics"

The country is taking part in combat operations against Ukraine, said Zelenskyj as a reason.

He is open to all places "from where no rockets are fired at Ukraine".

He suggested Warsaw (Poland*), Budapest (Hungary*), Istanbul (Turkey*) and Baku (Azerbaijan) as negotiating cities.

An advisor to Zelenskyj had rejected the Russian information as a tactic, the dpa continues.

The Kremlin also announced that a delegation traveled to the Belarusian capital of Minsk on Friday for negotiations.

A few hours later, however, Putin called on the Ukrainian army to stage a coup d'etat against their own government.

He called Selenskyj and those around him a "clique of drug addicts and neo-Nazis".

Washington had assessed the Russian offer of talks as not very credible.

And Ukrainian government officials also described the proposal as not very serious, since Moscow is striving for Ukraine's capitulation.

The Ukrainian side did not get in touch after a break, reports Russia.

Only then did the attacks in Ukraine resume.

Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a recent video message from Kiev © UKRAINIAN PRESIDENCY PRESS OFFICE/AFP

Ukraine conflict and Belarus: Lukashenko admits rocket fire

Zelenskyj also appealed to the solidarity of the people in neighboring Belarus.

"Russian Federation troops are firing missiles at Ukraine from your territory," Zelenskyy said in a video message on Sunday (February 27).

"From your territory, our children are being killed and our homes are being destroyed."

The Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko * admitted a little later that two Russian rockets had been shot down from Belarusian territory, reports the dpa.

However, Belarus itself has no soldiers or ammunition in Ukraine, he stressed.

In his speech, Selenskyj called on the people of Belarus to take a clear position - also with a view to a Belarusian constitutional referendum that was due on Sunday: "We are your neighbors.

We are Ukrainians.

Be Belarus - and not Russia!”

Minister's appeal to Ukraine soldiers: "Darkness will give way"

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has encouraged his soldiers.

In a Facebook post, he spoke of "three days that changed our country and the world forever".

The Russians did not succeed in capturing Kiev as planned.

"Instead, I see a heroic army, a victorious guard, fearless frontier guards, dedicated rescuers, trusty cops, tireless medical angels."

Below is the post:

Resnikov encouraged the defenders.

"More and more people are realizing by the hour that there is no such army anywhere in Europe." Ukraine is now expecting help that seemed impossible three days ago.

"The darkness will recede.

Dawn is near.”