Ukraine-Russia talks - Putin's tough terms are leaking out
Created: 08/03/2022 05:01
By: Florian Naumann, Astrid Theil, Julia Schöneseiffen, Andreas Schmid, Lucas Maier
There is movement in the Russia-Ukraine negotiations.
Delegations from both countries will only meet in Belarus, and a meeting in Turkey is planned for Thursday.
The news ticker.
The Ukraine conflict* continues.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnkyj calls for tougher sanctions against Russia.
(Update from March 7, 12:28 p.m.)
The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine want to meet for negotiations in Turkey.
(
Update from March 7, 12:48 p.m.
)
This news ticker has ended.
You can find news about the negotiations and sanctions in the Ukraine war
in our new ticker (
see link
).
More on the background of the Ukraine crisis* here.
You can find an overview of the military conflict in Ukraine here.
Update March 7, 4:08 p.m .:
According to Russian media, the third round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine began in Belarus on Monday.
The agencies
Tass
and
Interfax
referred to the Russian embassy in Belarus.
There was initially no confirmation from the Ukrainian side.
The Belarusian state agency
Belta
published a picture of the delegations at a table in the Telegram news channel.
Update March 7, 3:01 p.m .: Before the third round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the
Reuters
news agency reports
that the Kremlin has published a list of demands for a stop to the war.
Accordingly, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is ready to end hostilities "immediately" if Ukraine fulfills the following requirements:
Suspension of all military actions
Inclusion of neutrality in the constitution
Recognition of Crimea as Russian territory
Recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics as independent states
But demilitarization still seems to be on the agenda.
“We are completing the demilitarization of Ukraine.
We will end them," Peskov said, according to
Reuters
.
Initially, there was no longer any talk of denazification.
Update March 7, 2:49 p.m .:
US President Joe Biden speaks to Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson in a video link to the Ukraine war that was apparently scheduled at short notice.
This emerged from Biden's updated daily program that the White House distributed on Monday.
The appointment was not initially noted on Biden’s schedule for Monday.
Ukraine-News: Meeting of foreign ministers planned
Update March 7, 12:48 p.m .:
According to information from Kiev, the third round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine should begin on Monday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. CET.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak wrote on Twitter at noon.
Podoljak tweeted a selfie in front of a military helicopter.
According to the Tass
state agency, the Russian delegation had previously
flown to Belarus.
It was not initially known exactly where the two sides would meet.
Another meeting seems to be in the offing.
According to dpa
information, the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Russia want to
meet for talks in Turkey.
Both sides have agreed and are expected in Antalya on March 10, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday.
The talks should take place together with Cavusoglu in a three-way format.
According to agencies, the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow has confirmed that a meeting between the head of department Sergey Lavrov and his Ukrainian colleague Dmytro Kuleba is planned on the fringes of the diplomatic forum in Antalya.
The meeting has not yet been confirmed by the Ukrainian side.
Ukraine-News: Ukrainian President calls for boycott of Russian exports
Update March 7, 12:28 p.m .:
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selesnkyj* has called for further and stricter sanctions against Russia because of the continued Russian attacks on his country.
A boycott of Russian exports is necessary, and with it the renunciation of oil and natural gas from Russia, said Selenskyj in a video clip published on Monday.
In this image from a video released by the Press Office of the President of Ukraine, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks in Kyiv.
© dpa
"You can call it an embargo or simply morality if you refuse to give money to the terrorists," said Zelenskyy.
"If they don't want to abide by the rules of civilization, then they shouldn't receive any goods and services from civilization either." Zelenskyy also underlined Ukraine's desire for peace.
“We have never invaded other states.
We have never conquered foreign land.
We have never killed peaceful people of other races," the President said.
"Therefore there is no blood on our flag."
Ukraine accuses Russia of serious war crimes.
Moscow, on the other hand, insists that Russian troops only attack military targets.
Ukraine-News: Russian delegation left for the third round of negotiations
Update March 7, 11:51 a.m .:
The Russian delegation flew to neighboring Belarus on Monday for the planned third round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
This was reported by the state agency
Tass
.
The start of the talks was initially unclear.
The Ukrainian media previously said, citing unspecified sources, that new negotiations could start at 2:00 p.m. CET, while the Russian media said they would start at 1:00 p.m. CET.
In the previous rounds, it had always taken several hours from the arrival of the representatives to the start of the talks.
Most recently, both delegations met last Thursday in western Belarus* and agreed on humanitarian corridors for embattled cities.
At the weekend, two attempts to bring people from the port city of Mariupol on the Azov Sea to safety failed.
Both sides blamed each other for failing to keep the agreed ceasefire.
Ukraine-News: Talks on the safety of Ukraine's nuclear facilities can begin
Update March 7, 11:32 a.m .:
From a Russian perspective, talks with Ukraine and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the safety of Ukrainian nuclear plants could soon begin.
Moscow supports the corresponding proposal by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, said Russian Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov in Vienna on Monday.
The Director-General of the IAEA on Friday suggested swift negotiations for security guarantees under the auspices of the IAEA to avoid a nuclear accident in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The talks would likely be conducted by senior nuclear safety officials, Ulyanov told journalists ahead of a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors.
Now only Kyiv has to agree to the meeting.
Grossi had proposed the Chernobyl accident power plant in Ukraine as the venue for the negotiations.
"I don't think Chernobyl is the best place for such a meeting," Ulyanov said.
Many capitals are better suited.
After the Russian troops took over the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, a fire broke out on the site on the night of March 4, 2022.
(Photo from March 5, 2022) © dpa-Bildfunk
So far, Russian troops have taken control of Chernobyl* and the Ukrainian Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
Last week, during the Russian advance on Zaporizhia, a fire broke out in a training building near the reactors.
According to the latest information from Kyiv, Russian forces have restricted communication between the nuclear power plant and the Ukrainian nuclear regulatory authority.
Ukraine-News: French foreign minister convinced: "Ukraine will win"
Update March 7, 10:10 a.m .:
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian assumes that Ukraine will ultimately prevail against the Russian invasion.
"I think Ukraine will win," said Le Drian on TV channel France 5 on Sunday evening.
"For one thing, Russia has placed itself in complete isolation internationally," he said.
On the other hand, Le Drian referred to the consequences of the sanctions, which would become even more noticeable over time.
"The price of the war will become unbearable" - so that President Vladimir Putin will be faced with the choice of accepting massive consequences for Russia's ability to function or entering into negotiations.
Le Drian also emphasized the strong resistance of the Ukrainians and at the same time warned of the dramatic consequences of the war for the population.
This will be particularly the case if Russian forces resort to "siege logic," the minister said, citing the high casualty toll in the Chechen capital of Grozny and the Syrian city of Aleppo.
This is already the case in Ukraine: "I think what you will find in Mariupol when the war is over will be terrible."
Ukraine war: Britain and allies demand Russia's ban from Interpol
Update from March 7, 6.40 a.m .:
Great Britain and several of its allies have called for Russia to be excluded from the international police organization Interpol.
Along with the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Britain's Home Secretary Priti Patel called on Twitter on Sunday for "the immediate suspension of Russia's access to all systems" from Interpol.
"Russia's actions pose a direct threat to the security of individuals and international law enforcement cooperation."
The West is trying to isolate Russia internationally because of its war of aggression in Ukraine.
The allies have already issued numerous tough economic sanctions against Moscow and are supporting Ukraine with arms deliveries.
Update from March 7th, 6.30 a.m .:
For the first time since the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has to answer to the highest court of the United Nations in The Hague for violating the 1948 Genocide Convention.
The International Court of Justice will hear Ukraine's emergency lawsuit starting this Monday.
This calls for immediate measures to stop the fighting in the country.
At the Peace Palace in The Hague, Ukraine's legal representatives will first present their case.
Russia has the floor on Tuesday.
Ukraine accuses Russia of violating the genocide convention.
The judges are to declare that "Russia has no legal basis" to act in and against Ukraine.
Russia had alleged without providing any evidence that genocide was being committed in Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, thereby justifying the invasion.
Ukraine "strongly" denies these allegations.
Ukraine also accuses Russia of "planning acts of genocide in Ukraine" and "deliberately killing or seriously injuring people of Ukrainian nationality." The UN judges should order emergency measures against it.
It is not yet certain when a judgment will be made. Judgments by the court are binding.
But the court has no power to force a defeated state to implement the verdict.
It can then only appeal to the UN Security Council.
Ukraine war: Putin names two conditions for peace - Zelenskyj appeals to the West
Update from March 6, 10:41 p.m.:
Further direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine could start as early as Monday – it would be the third round of talks (
see update from 7:30 p.m.
).
Before that, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has demanded further pressure from Western countries.
"The aggressor's audacity is a clear signal to the West that the sanctions imposed are not enough," Zelenskyy said, according to a tweet from the Kyiv Independent on Sunday evening.
In the face of disturbing reports, for example from the city of Mariupol, he called on the heads of state and government: “You cannot hide from this reality.
You can't hide them from the recent killings in Ukraine," the president said, according to the report.
Ukraine: Negotiations in NATO - US sizes are pushing for delicate jet delivery
Update from March 6, 8:38 p.m .:
Influential politicians in the USA seem to be pushing further towards fighter jet deliveries to Ukraine.
Chuck Schumer, Democratic Majority Leader in the US Senate, announced on Sunday a "push" towards the US administration, as broadcaster CNN reports online.
All options would have to be examined in order to bring “aircraft desperately needed by Ukraine” into the country.
Schumer is concerned with Polish MiG machines of Soviet design (
see update from 5:37 p.m.
).
According to the report, he also received support from Republican foreign policy officer Martin McCaul.
He called for Poland to be compensated with F16 aircraft.
"We're not going to send our troops in there, but guess what, we can help the Ukrainians win this war," he told CNN anchor Jake Tapper.
The German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also welcomed corresponding plans in the evening on ARD.
However, Poland had recently denied delivery plans.
Update from March 6, 8:05 p.m .:
The pressure on Russia could continue to grow in the Ukraine conflict: Suddenly a comprehensive embargo on Russian oil and gas supplies seems possible.
The USA also sent corresponding signals on Sunday.
However, Ukraine's calls for very specific support from the West are likely to go unheeded: the implementation of a no-fly zone would entail the greatest dangers, as
Merkur.de *
analyzes.
Ukraine-Russia talks: US minister confirms sensitive considerations
Update from March 6, 5:37 p.m .:
Poland has again denied wanting to supply Ukraine with Soviet-designed fighter jets.
“Poland will not send its fighter jets to Ukraine, nor will it allow its airports to be used.
We help significantly in many other areas," the government in Warsaw said on Twitter on Sunday.
She referred to a statement by the Polish General Staff on Thursday.
It said that all Polish MiG-29 fighter jets remained at their home bases and that they were also marked with the red and white national emblem of the Polish Air Force.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed such considerations at a press conference in Moldova: “We are currently actively looking at the question of aircraft that Poland could supply to Ukraine.
And how we could then deliver if Poland decides (...) to deliver these aircraft." There is no timetable for this, but one looks at it "very, very actively".
Update from March 6, 4:50 p.m .:
According to Foreign Minister Antony Blinken, the US government is documenting possible war crimes by the Russian side in the Ukraine war.
"We have received very credible reports of deliberate attacks on civilians, which would constitute a war crime," Blinken told CNN on Sunday.
"We have seen very credible reports of the use of certain weapons.
And what we are doing right now is documenting all this, collating everything, checking it.”
Support will be given to organizations and institutions investigating whether war crimes are being committed.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has already launched official investigations into war crimes in Ukraine, which is under Russian attack.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told CNN about the planned humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians in Ukraine that it was important that these were not just political agreements - but that the military leadership on the ground was involved.
They are working intensively on setting up such corridors.
However, experts fear behind the corridors and ceasefires also a calculation by Vladimir Putin*.
Ukraine-Russia negotiations: Putin after Erdogan talks - end of war subject to two conditions
Update from March 6, 1:30 p.m .:
Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready for a dialogue with Ukraine after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
However, according to his presidential office, he calls on Ukraine to change its behavior in the next direct talks.
"It is to be hoped that the representatives of Ukraine will show a more constructive approach in the planned next round of negotiations, (and) fully take into account the newly emerging reality," the Kremlin said after the phone call between Putin and Erdoğan.
In conversation with Turkish President Erdoğan, Putin is said to have emphasized that the military operation in Ukraine will only end if Ukraine stops fighting and Russia's demands are met.
In addition, Russia's military operation should go according to plan.
The Turkish President spent an hour on the phone with Putin and said that Turkey wanted to contribute to a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
So he reiterated his call for a ceasefire to Putin.
In view of the latest statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, it seems unlikely that the Ukrainian government will agree to these conditions.
In a video message, Selenskyj recently emphasized that numerous Russian soldiers have been taken prisoner in his country.
Addressing the Ukrainians, Zelenskyy says: “We are fighting over where the border will be.
Between life and slavery.”
Update from March 6, 12:30 p.m .:
French President Emmanuel Macron * wants to hold talks with Vladimir Putin again in view of the Ukraine war.
On Sunday afternoon, it was said from the Élysée Palace that Macron was preparing to call Putin.
The last phone call took place on Thursday (March 3).
In this Putin had called Macron and insisted on the enforcement of his demands.
Macron had told Putin that these were unacceptable.
Macron and Putin have been in regular telephone contact for several weeks.
Macron also traveled to Moscow in February to seek a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis.
Update from March 6, 8:15 a.m .:
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin yesterday (March 5) after a visit to Moscow.
The reason for the meeting was deliberations on the war in Ukraine.
Bennett is also in contact with the Ukrainian government.
According to various media reports, a few days ago Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the Israeli Prime Minister to initiate negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Israel.
More information in this regard can be found here.
War in Ukraine: Ceasefire in Mariupol failed for the time being
Update from March 5, 9:57 p.m
.: On Saturday there was a stir about the ceasefire in Mariupol.
First, Russia and Ukraine had agreed on a ceasefire to save civilians in the city, which was heavily shelled.
Later, Russia continued its offensive.
The British Ministry of Defense senses calculus.
The armistice in Mariupol was "probably an attempt to fend off international criticism while at the same time converting its own armed forces for renewed offensive activities," the British ministry wrote in its daily situation report.
Russia blames Ukraine for ending ceasefire.
"Since the Ukrainian side is not ready to influence the nationalists or to extend the ceasefire, offensive actions have resumed," said a spokesman for the Defense Ministry in Moscow.
The UK Ministry of Defense wrote: "By accusing Ukraine of breaching the deal, Russia is likely trying to shift responsibility for current and future civilian casualties in the city."
The Ukrainian authorities on Saturday suspended a planned evacuation of Mariupol and in turn accused Russia of not complying with the agreed ceasefire.
"The Russian side is not respecting the ceasefire and has continued shelling Mariupol and the surrounding area," she said.
The evacuation was postponed for security reasons.
You can find out more about the military situation in Ukraine in this ticker.
Ukraine-Russia negotiations: Israel's Prime Minister surprises Putin
Update from March 5, 7:51 p.m
.: Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was a guest in the Kremlin to talk about the Ukraine war
(see update from March 5, 6:15 p.m.)
.
Government circles in Jerusalem said the conversation lasted three hours.
Bennett has coordinated with the US, Germany and France and is "in constant communication with Ukraine".
He also spoke to Vladimir Putin about the situation of the Israelis and the Jewish communities in view of the Ukraine conflict.
Bennett flew to Moscow in the early hours of Saturday morning.
On Saturday evening, Bennett wants to travel to Berlin to speak to Chancellor Olaf Scholz*, his office said.
War in Ukraine: Surprise visit to Russia - Prime Minister of Israel with Putin
Update from March 5, 6:15 p.m .:
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett surprisingly traveled to Russia for a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bennett is staying in Moscow for a short working visit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday evening, according to the Interfax agency.
"The situation around Ukraine is being discussed." Peskov initially did not give any details.
Israel is being discussed as a mediator in the Ukraine conflict.
According to media reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj asked Bennett a week ago to organize negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Israel.
Israel has good relations with both countries, but also finds itself in a conflict.
It does not want to upset its main ally, the United States, but at the same time depends on Moscow's goodwill for strategic reasons, including in the conflicts with Syria and Iran.
Ukraine war: Putin calls sanctions on Russia a 'declaration of war'
Update from March 5, 6:05 p.m
.: In the Ukraine war, the West relies on sanctions.
There have already been several measures against Russia, such as the blocking of EU airspace or the Swift payment system.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has now described the sanctions against his country as a "declaration of war".
Putin said so in a speech broadcast on state television.
Ukraine-Russia talks: no-fly zone?
Putin threatens West: "Any movement in this direction..."
First report from March 5
: Kiev/Moscow – Russian President Vladimir Putin* has warned of a no-fly zone over Ukraine with a view to western states and NATO.
"We consider any movement in this direction as a country's participation in the armed conflict," Putin said at a meeting with employees of the Russian airline Aeroflot on Saturday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy* has called on his western partners to set up a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
So far, however, they have refused.
The associated consequences would be “that Russian planes are shot down.
And you get caught up in a logic of confrontation," said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Vladimir Putin warns against enforcing a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
© Russian President Press Office / TASS / dpa
Ukraine war current: Putin sees no reason to declare martial law in Russia
Putin currently sees no prerequisites for declaring martial law in Russia.
Such a situation requires external aggression or fighting in specific regions, Putin said on Saturday, according to Russian agencies in Moscow.
"But we don't have such a situation, and I hope it doesn't come either." He is also not planning a state of emergency.
He countered the fears of many Russians.
As a result, many have already left the country.
Once again, Putin reiterated his terms for an end to Russia's war in Ukraine.
“Our proposals are on the table with a group of negotiators from Kyiv.
We hope that they will respond positively.” The most important demand is the demilitarization of Ukraine.
"We need to know clearly which weapons are where and under what control they are." Various options are currently being discussed with the Ukrainian delegation.
According to Putin, the "destruction of military infrastructure" in Ukraine "as part of the operation (...) is practically complete".
He mentioned weapons and ammunition depots.
All other developments can be found in our news ticker on the military conflict in the Ukraine war.
War in Ukraine: No active intervention by NATO
Russia invaded Ukraine a week ago and has since attacked numerous cities.
We accompany the conflict here with up-to-date maps and visualizations.
The Ukrainian armed forces have so far managed to slow down the Russian advance, also because they can count on the material support and equipment of NATO countries.
However, the Western military alliance has repeatedly emphasized that it will not actively intervene in the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj was disappointed by NATO* because the western alliance does not want to get involved militarily in the conflict.
In a live link to solidarity demos in Europe, Selenskyj warned: "If Ukraine falls, everyone will fall."
*Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
