Ukraine and Russia have made significant progress on a 15-point provisional peace plan to end the war.

The agreement, which the two sides first discussed Monday, includes Ukraine’s withdrawal from any joining NATO aspirations and its commitment not to have foreign military bases or armaments on its territory in exchange for “protection” from allies such as the USA, the UK and Turkey while maintaining its armed forces. 

Although Moscow and Kiev said Wednesday they had made progress on the terms of the agreement, Ukrainian officials remain skeptical over Russian President Putin’s commitment to peace and are concerned that Moscow may “buy” time to reenforce and reorganize its forces to attack again. Mikhail Pontolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Zhelensky told the Financial Times that any agreement would include “Russian troops leaving Ukraine in any case” in the southern regions along the Azov and Black Sea coasts as well as territories to the east and north of Kiev.

Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peshkov told reporters on Wednesday that neutrality for Ukraine under the Austrian or Swedish regimes was a possibility. “This option is really being discussed now and can be considered neutral,” Peshkov said.

The content, of course, and the details of Western guarantees of Ukrainian security – which will have to be accepted by Moscow – are almost certainly not easy to agree on and difficulties and obstacles are also expected regarding the future status of the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia after 2014 (Crimea).

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Security guarantees

The agreement, which the two sides first discussed Monday, includes Ukraine’s withdrawal from any joining NATO aspirations and its commitment not to have foreign military bases or armaments on its territory in exchange for “protection” from allies such as the USA, the UK and Turkey while maintaining its armed forces. 

Ukraine, Podoliak added, will definitely keep its own army, while he himself went on to downplay the possibility of having foreign bases in Ukraine, as this is already excluded by Ukrainian law.

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The debate on Crimea and Donbass is a “distinct case”

It is said that according to what has already been discussed, a Ukrainian agreement will also include provisions to guarantee the rights of the Russian language in Ukraine. A major obstacle, of course, is Russia’s demand that Ukraine recognize the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Federation and the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to the east. Ukraine has so far refused to do so but is willing to treat this as a distinct issue, according to Pontoliak. 

Talks between Russia and Ukraine continue via video conference, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said today. According to her, the two sides are discussing military, political and humanitarian issues.

Russia announced today that there are no obstacles to a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, but such a meeting will take place only to seal a specific agreement.

Meanwhile, Russian news agencies reported today that the Russian Armed Forces hit a military depot in the Rivne region of western Ukraine on Wednesday. High-precision missiles hit a warehouse in Sarni, Rivne district, destroying missile and ammunition storage facilities, the Ministry said.

With information from: AMNA Kathimerini

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