Ukraine negotiations: Lavrov rumbles against US influence - and sees interest in a long war

Created: 2022-03-25 04:51

The Ukraine negotiations are making little progress.

US President Biden is traveling to the NATO summit in Europe, and Ukraine's President Zelenskyy will also be speaking there.

The news ticker.

• Escalated Ukraine conflict*

  : US President Joe Biden travels to Brussels for the NATO summit and EU summits on Wednesday as part of the Ukraine-Russia negotiations

  (update from March 23, 9:50 a.m.).

• The Ukrainian President Selenskyj* will also speak at the NATO summit on Thursday, March 24, at the NATO summit

   (update from March 23, 9:50 a.m.).

• Ukraine negotiations: Lavrov rumbles against US influence - and expresses a wild guess

  (update from March 23, 10:30 a.m.)

  .

• The background to the Ukraine crisis * here.

This news ticker has ended.

You can read more about the Ukraine-Russia negotiations here.

Update from March 24, 10:17 a.m .: The Ukraine war and the related Ukraine negotiations are also viewed particularly critically in the West.

Some action is required.

So on Thursday there will be a trio of summits: NATO, the G7 countries and the EU will be discussing.

Update from March 23, 11:37 a.m .:

Russia has warned of a possible NATO peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.

"That would be a very thoughtless and extremely dangerous decision," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, according to the Interfax agency.

A "special military operation" is currently underway in Ukraine, said Peskov - that's what Moscow officially calls the war.

"And every possible clash between our soldiers and NATO soldiers can have understandable consequences that are difficult to remedy."

Poland wants to officially present its proposal for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine at the NATO summit in Brussels on Thursday.

So far, however, the push has met with mixed reactions among NATO partners.

Kremlin spokesman Peskov also said that possible intervention by other members of a Russian-dominated military alliance is not being discussed.

Ukraine has repeatedly expressed concern that Belarus, for example, could take part in the war with its own troops.

Update from March 23, 11:02 a.m .:

Poland says it has exposed dozens of Russian diplomats as spies.

A list "has been drawn up of 45 people who work in Poland under the guise of diplomatic activities (...) and in reality carry out espionage activities directed against Poland," said the spokesman for the Polish Domestic Intelligence Service (ABW) on Wednesday. Stanislav Zaryn.

The list with the names of the accused had been handed over to the Foreign Ministry.

The domestic intelligence service is demanding their expulsion, Zaryn said on Twitter.

A press conference was scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at the State Department.

The domestic intelligence service also reported on Wednesday the arrest of a Pole who is also accused of spying for Russia.

The activities of the man who worked in the Warsaw City Hall archives endangered "Poland's internal and external security".

Ukraine negotiations: Lavrov rumbles against US influence - and expresses wild assumptions about the target

Update from March 23, 10:30 a.m .:

Russia has accused the United States of prolonging the war in Ukraine for its own interests.

"They are speculating on pumping more weapons into Ukraine," Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a speech to Moscow students on Wednesday, according to the Interfax agency.

"Apparently they want to keep us in a state of combat action for as long as possible."

For this reason, talks between a Russian and a Ukrainian delegation were sluggish: "Negotiations are difficult because the Ukrainian side (...) constantly changes its position and rejects its own proposals," Lavrov claimed.

"It's hard to shake the impression that they are being held by their American colleagues who (...) simply assume that it is unprofitable for them to complete this process quickly."

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is now wildly accusing the United States.

© picture alliance/dpa

Ukraine-Russia negotiations: Biden at diplomatic meeting in Europe - Zelenskyj speaks at NATO summit

Update from March 23, 9:50 a.m .:

US President Joe Biden * travels to Brussels on Wednesday for the extraordinary NATO summit.

He will also take part in the summits of the EU and the leading democratic economic powers (G7).

The US President will travel to Warsaw on Friday.

A bilateral meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda is planned there for Saturday.

It is Biden's third trip to Europe since taking office in January 2021.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj* also wants to join the extraordinary NATO summit on Thursday, March 24, via video.

This was announced by his spokesman Serhiy Nykyforow on Tuesday to the Unian news agency.

The meeting comes exactly four weeks after Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine began.

At the summit, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the support of the NATO states for Ukraine and the further strengthening of deterrence and defense against Russia will be discussed.

Ukraine talks: Zelenskyy accuses Putin's troops of capturing refugees

March 23 update,

6:18 a.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russian forces of "simply capturing" a group of refugees from the besieged port city of Mariupol on a previously agreed escape route.

In his evening video message on Tuesday, the head of state again referred to the suffering of what he said were still 100,000 people in the city who had to endure "without food, without water, without medicine, under constant fire".

Before the start of the war, the city still had 450,000 inhabitants.

It is strategically important for both sides as it is the last major port under Ukrainian control on the Sea of ​​Azov and prevents a direct land connection between the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia and the pro-Russian separatist-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine and Russia negotiate - US has no intention of closing embassy in Moscow

Update from March 22, 6:53 p.m.:

In the midst of the Ukraine war and the heightened tensions with Russia, the United States has emphasized the importance of diplomatic relations.

"I want to say bluntly that the United States has no intention of closing the embassy in Moscow," US Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan told the opposition Russian newspaper

"And President (Joe) Biden has no intention of removing me as ambassador."

At the same time, Sullivan said: "Nevertheless, we have seen signs from the Russian leadership that indicate that diplomatic relations may be terminated.

(...) That wasn't said explicitly, but there was a threat like that.” The Foreign Ministry in Moscow recently said that Russian-American relations were “on the brink of breaking up”.

A protest note was handed to Sullivan.

Ukraine talks not "substantial" enough for Kremlin

Update from March 22, 2:37 p.m

.: The Kremlin has so far not seen the desired progress in the negotiations with Ukraine.

"A certain process is taking place, but we would like it to be more vigorous and substantive," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

He did not want to give any information about the content of the talks with Kyiv because this "would only further impede the negotiation process".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday he was ready to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin about a "compromise" on areas in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.

However, he argued that such an agreement would have to be confirmed by referendum in Ukraine.

Ukraine negotiations: Selenskyj adviser sees possibilities for "relatively simple" agreement

Update from March 22, 12:01 p.m

.: Are the Ukraine negotiations now making progress?

As reported by the US magazine

, among others, according to Selenskyj adviser Alexander Rodnyansky, it is "relatively easy" to reach agreement on some issues - such as NATO membership or the use of Russian as a regional language.

However, he ruled out giving up territory.

Ukraine negotiations: Biden calls heads of state before traveling to Europe

Update from March 21, 9:15 p.m .:

US President Joe Biden * discussed the current situation in the Ukraine war with the heads of state of Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain on Monday afternoon.

As the White House announced, the President held a roughly hour-long phone call with Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Mario Draghi and Boris Johnson, during which the allies discussed "their coordinated responses to Russia's unprovoked and unwarranted attack on Ukraine."

Negotiations in the Ukraine war: In an interview, Selenskyj made a clear statement to Moscow

First report from March 21:

Kiev/Moscow – According to its head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyj*, Ukraine will not accept “Russian ultimatums” to end the war*.

"Ukraine cannot accept a Russian ultimatum," Zelenskyy said in a

video interview published by news website

Russia's aim is to "destroy" Ukraine.

War negotiations: According to Zelensky, Moscow wants to achieve "handover" of the cities of Mariupol, Kharkiv and Kyiv

Among other things, Moscow wants to achieve the “handover” of the cities of Mariupol, Kharkiv and Kyiv* by Ukraine, said Zelenskyj.

But "neither the people in Kharkiv, nor those in Mariupol or Kyiv, nor I, the President," could do that.

According to Zelenskyy, the Russian government is trying to dictate its demands to the Ukrainian side.

The Russian delegation is pursuing the approach: "We'll issue an ultimatum, here are the points, you fulfill them all and then we'll end the war," said Zelenskyy.

However, Moscow will not achieve results this way.

Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia: Any "compromise" with Moscow to be presented to Ukrainians in referendum

The people of Ukraine are "united" in the face of the Russian war of aggression*, emphasized Zelenskyj.

This is also visible in cities like Melitopol and Berdyansk, which are already occupied by Russia.

Where Russian soldiers raised their flag, "they take people down," the president said.

Referring to the role of Russian troops in the Ukrakine war, Zelenskyy said: "What do you want?

Destroy us all.” Moscow's ultimatums would only become reality “when we are no more”.

In addition, Zelenskyy announced that he would let his people decide on any possible "compromise" in the negotiations with Russia.

The contents of a possible agreement could mean "historic" changes, said the head of state.

The Ukrainian side will ultimately decide on this in a referendum.