Ukrainians fear Zelenskiy will accept peace on Putin's terms during Paris meet

As Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Paris for a summit in an effort to bring peace to the region, Ukranian people fear that their President might accept peace on Putin’s terms. Zelenskiy and Putin will hold a meeting with the leaders of France and Germany to find a solution to the hostilities in eastern Ukraine, especially after the Crimean annexation by Russia in 2014.

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“First, the President will hold a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, and then with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. There will be a meeting of four leaders in the Normandy format," informed Kirill Tymoshenko, Zelenskiy’s deputy chief of staff.

"After that, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will hold a bilateral meeting with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin,” Tymoshenko added.

Since Zelensky has been caught in the midst of impeachment proceeding of US President Donald Trump, Ukrainians have apprehensions that their leader might cede too much ground to Putin. On December 8, protesters took to streets with placards urging Zelenskiy to stay away from Moscow. 

Read: IMF, Ukraine Reach Tentative $5.5 Billion Aid Deal For War-scarred Country

Ahead of the meeting in Paris, Zelenskiy’s spokesperson Yulia Mendel, in a Facebook post, said that Ukraine has strong allies in France and Germany and also have the support in the international arena. "The first three steps that President Zelensky will take at a meeting in Paris: the terms and conditions of the return of captured Ukrainians; a real, not fake, ceasefire; and, of course, the withdrawal of foreign troops and bandit formations from the territory of Donbas," Mendel wrote on Facebook.

Read: Former Ukraine President Warns Zelensky To Beware Of Putin Ahead Of Talks With Russia

Volatile Donbas region

Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region has been volatile due to the presence of pro-Russian separatists and the five-year conflict after Crimean annexation has claimed at least 13,000 lives of soldiers and civilians. Ahead of the meeting, Zelenskiy accepted a formula that will lead to elections in the separatist-held territories which might provide greater autonomy to Donetsk and Luhansk provinces. But Ukraine is of the opinion that it needs to be in full control of its borders to hold the elections since the borders are currently controlled by pro-Russia separatists.

Read: Ukraine, Russian Leaders Meet For Paris Talks, Prospects For Peace Remain Bleak