Ukraine says peace talks with Russia underway; Ceasefire, military withdrawal on agenda

On the 20th day of the Russian attacks on Ukraine, the Adviser to the Head of the Office of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mykhailo Podolyak said that they have resumed talks on the major negotiating topics with Russia. He further stated that they will discuss the topics of general regulation, ceasefire and troops withdrawal from their country's territory. Both sides are signalling progress in the talks.

Both the parties also had the discussion on March 14, when Podolyak stated that the parties communicate their positions in a direct manner. He also stated that it was difficult to communicate with the Russian side but it is possible. President Zelenskyy adviser acknowledged that there are too many diverse political systems that are the source of the conflict, and continued by pointing out that Ukraine is a free dialogue within the society and an obligatory consensus, while Russia is an ultimatum suppression of its own society.

Russia wants Ukraine to legally commit to not joining NATO

As the fourth round of peace talks have resumed between Russia and Ukraine, Florian Justwan, who is an associate professor of political science at the University of Idaho says that most observers on the outside know what both sides eventually want, stating Russia wants Ukraine to legally commit to not joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as Vladimir Putin has been a vocal opponent of Ukraine joining NATO. Russia has also requested that Ukraine legally accept Russia's annexation of Crimea, which was seized in 2014, according to The Spokesman-Review. It also wants Ukraine to acknowledge the Donbas region's independence, which consists of two provinces bordering Russia.

On the other hand, Ukraine has demanded that all Russian forces be demilitarised immediately. Negotiators for Ukraine have stated that talks are going well and that a deal might be reached in the next few days. However, despite the Ukrainian negotiator's claim that meaningful progress might be made within days, experts believe that this could take a while. On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has requested that martial law be extended for another 30 days, according to DW News. Earlier, when the Russian invasion began on February 24, martial law was imposed. Zealenskyy has also asked Russian forces to surrender.

Image: AP