War in Ukraine: Slight optimism ahead of negotiations – “We will see progress”

Created: 03/13/2022Updated: 03/13/2022 23:21

The negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv in the Ukraine war are to continue on Monday.

An early meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy is also possible.

• On February 24, 2022, Russian troops invaded Ukraine*.

• Negotiations to date have largely been unsuccessful.

  Russia* makes several demands – Kyiv* has so far rejected them.

• The Kremlin spokesman does not rule out a meeting between Vladimir Putin* and Volodymyr Zelenskyj*.

• The news ticker on current negotiations in the Ukraine conflict*.

Kyiv/Moscow - In the struggle for a diplomatic solution in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, both sides have expressed cautiously optimistic statements.

"If we compare the positions of the two delegations today with those at the beginning, we will see significant progress," said Russian foreign policy expert Leonid Slutsky on Sunday (March 13, 2022) on state television.

He is part of the delegation that has been negotiating with Ukraine for two weeks, but so far without a breakthrough.

According to Slutzki, both sides could agree on a common position "in the next few days" and sign it in the appropriate documents.

The Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak also expected "concrete results in a few days".

In a video published on Twitter, he said that Russia is not making ultimatums in the negotiations, but is listening to Ukrainian proposals.

Ukraine war: negotiations with Russia on Monday

In the evening, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed planned talks in online format for this Monday.

As before, the Russian delegation should be led by former Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky, Peskov said, according to the Tass state agency.

Moscow demands that Kyiv recognize the annexed Black Sea peninsula of Crimea as Russian and the separatist areas in eastern Ukraine as independent "people's republics".

Ukraine rejects that.

Kyiv will not give up any of its positions, Podoliak said.

According to him, Ukraine is demanding an end to the war and the withdrawal of Russian troops.

"There is a dialogue," Podoliak said.

The flags of Russia and Ukraine are projected onto the wall of the Old City of Jerusalem: Moscow and Kyiv want to continue their negotiations in the conflict on Monday (03/14/2022).

(Iconic image) © Mahmoud Illean/dpa

Dmitry Peskov did not rule out a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on state television on Sunday.

"But we have to understand what the outcome of this meeting is supposed to be and what will be discussed there." The conditions for direct talks at the highest level would be discussed at the meetings of the delegations.

(lrg/dpa) *