Presidential advisor on preparing peace accord and Putin’s meeting with Zelenskyy

Evropeyska Pravda  – Thursday, 17 March 2022, 16:51

It will take anywhere between a few days and over a week to reach agreement over contentious questions in the peace accord negotiations with Russia, after which preparations for a possible meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia can begin.

Source: Mykhaylo Podoliak, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, in an interview to WP Wiadomości

Details: Podoliak said that Ukraine wants to create a mechanism which will guarantee its safety in the future, rather than just sign an agreement [about the end of the current war].

"So far, both Ukrainian and Russian delegations have firmly held onto their existing positions. It will take anywhere between a few days to over a week to reach agreement over contentious questions. During this time, we should come closer to reaching a peace accord," Podoliak said.

Podoliak also noted that as soon as work on the agreement is completed, work will begin to organise a meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia.

"This will happen in the coming weeks. Location doesn’t matter to us. It can be anywhere except Russia," he added.

According to Podoliak, the peace accord will first of all take into account the interests of Ukraine, which has suffered enormous losses in the wake of Russia’s invasion.

As for the future relationship with Russia, after the peace accord is reached, Podoliak said that it will not be possible to return to the "brotherly nations" rhetoric of the past.

"Bridges have been burnt. We will create a strong border and will be as cold towards Russia as a country that has invaded our home in order to kill us deserves," Podoliak said.

To find out more about under what conditions Ukraine can get peace or a truce, read the column by Bogdan Yaremenko, a member of parliament from the "Sluha Naroda" (Servant of the People) faction and chairman of the "Foreign Affairs Maidan" (anti-Yanukovych movement in Ukraine) organisation: NATO, the EU and sanctions: three conditions for negotiations with Russia.