Presidential Office explains details of what the next round of talks with Russia will hinge on

VALENTYNA ROMANENKO - TUESDAY, 29 MARCH 2022, 16:12

The date of the next round of talks between Russia and Ukraine will be made clear following fine-tuning in subgroups and the announcement of the Russian side's reaction to Kyiv's proposed security agreement concept.

 Source: Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to the head of the presidential office, in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda; a Ukrainska Pravda source close to the negotiation process

According to Podoliak: "Firstly: right now, face-to-face consultations are going on in subgroups, both military and legal. The detail is crucial.

Secondly, the date of the next round will be made clear after fine-tuning within the subgroups and after the Russian side has reacted to the concept of the agreement.

Thirdly, there is already a first positive reaction from the opposition - a readiness for a radical ceasefire on the Chernihiv and Kyiv fronts, which will make it possible to solve significant humanitarian problems."

Details: For its part, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted its source as saying that the face-to-face round of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul is over, and they will continue in video format.

The Ukrainska Pravda source said that the Russian delegation has already left Istanbul. 

Background: On 29 March, the Ukrainian side in Istanbul came forward with a proposal for a security guarantee agreement for Ukraine. Kyiv sees the UN Security Council countries (Britain, China, Russia, USA, France, Turkey, Germany, Canada, Italy, Poland and Israel) as among the guarantors of the agreement.

The Ukrainian delegation suggests that Russia should establish in a separate clause of the treaty that the status of Crimea and Sevastopol will be decided during a 15-year period of bilateral negotiations.

The Ukrainian delegation proposes that the fate of the occupied territories of eastern Ukraine be decided during direct negotiations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to Podoliak, the signing of an international treaty on security guarantees will be possible only after a nationwide referendum on the issue is held.