Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming weeks, Zelenskys assistant, Mikhail Podolyak, said on March 17. However, the middle blocker said the meeting could only take place when a " peace treaty" between Kiev and Moscow is signed.
As soon as the treaty work is completed, we will begin holding a meeting. It will take place in the coming weeks. However, the location of the meeting is not important to us, it can be anywhere, except Russia, Mr. Podolyak told wirtualna Polska in an interview.
The official said the peace deal could take a period of time, from a few days to a week and a half. He admitted that currently, both Ukraine and Russia are "insistent on their views".
Russias immediate withdrawal is one of the key aspects of the peace deal. However, the negotiations are a large-scale process, not just involving Russia and Ukraine. Poland, one of the other countries, also joined. And it's not just about signing agreements. We want to develop a specific mechanism to ensure our security in the future, Mr. Podolyak explained, adding that even if an agreement is reached, it does not mean an end to the conflict.
Russian and Ukrainian delegations have held several rounds of talks since the conflicts began on February 24. The Russia-Ukraine negotiations have yet to produce any clear results, except for Kiev and Moscow finding a common point in organizing humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from war zones.
" Significant progress" in peace negotiations was reported by the Financial Times on March 16, when the newspaper said the two sides were discussing a 15-point draft, regarding the withdrawal of Russian and Ukrainian troops to become a neutral country under the protection of Western allies.
However, this information was denied by Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the information and promised to update the public if any real breakthroughs were reached in the negotiations. Kiev also rejected a report from the Financial Times, in which Mr. Podolyak asserted that the 15-point plan reflected Moscow's demand and nothing more.
Russia has launched a military campaign in Ukraine since February 24 after a seven-year stalemate, accusing Kiev of failing to comply with the terms of the 2014-2015 Minsk agreement. The deal was mediated between Germany and France.
Russia also outlines targets for "de numberitizing" Ukraine. Kiev has called the Russian attack completely unfounded and denied the accusations that it is planning to retake the two breakaway regions in Donbass by force.
