Is Vladimir Putin set to ditch ‘denazification’ demand and let Ukraine join EU?
Is Vladimir Putin ready to let Ukraine join the EU and ditch his demand the country is ‘denazified’ ? Draft ceasefire agreement drops mention of three of Moscow’s key aims ahead of today’s face-to-face peace talks
Face-to-face talks between the Ukraine and Russia begin in Turkey today Draft ceasefire agreement drops mention of some of Moscow’s key demandsThis includes Kyiv leadership staying and Ukraine not needing to ‘demilitarise’As well as the dropping of legal protection for Russian language, it is reported
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Russia is set to drop its demand that Ukraine be ‘denazified’ and could be prepared to let the country join the EU, it was claimed last night.
Ahead of face-to-face talks between the two countries in Turkey today, a draft ceasefire agreement has dropped mention of three of Moscow’s key demands at the start of the war.
According to four people ‘briefed on the discussions’, it would appear Russia is now prepared to leave the Kyiv leadership in place, ditch a demand that Ukraine ‘demilitarise’ and drop legal protection for the Russian language, the Financial Times reported.
Moscow may also allow Ukraine to join the European Union, it was claimed, as long as it dropped any hopes of joining Nato – a compromise that President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated he might accept.
As a pretext for his invasion, Vladimir Putin, pictured, had said his goal was ‘to protect people’ who have been ‘subjected to bullying and genocide’ by the ‘neo-Nazi’ leadership of President Zelensky, who is Jewish
But officials in Kyiv were said to be wary that Moscow was changing its position on an almost daily basis and were fearful that Russia was dangling the promise of peace to buy time to regroup on the battlefield.
As a pretext for his invasion, Vladimir Putin had said his goal was ‘to protect people’ who have been ‘subjected to bullying and genocide’ by the ‘neo-Nazi’ leadership of President Zelensky, who is Jewish.
But there is now the suggestion that he might allow the Ukrainian leader to remain in power once the conflict is over.
However the draft, due to be presented today, is said to contain one of the biggest sticking points – that Ukraine recognises Russian control of Crimea, which was illegally annexed in 2014.
Mr Zelensky has said he is willing to compromise with Russia to bring peace ‘without delay’ but will not accept ‘slicing up’ the country.
In a video address to his nation on Sunday night, the leader stressed that Ukraine’s ‘sovereignty and territorial integrity are beyond doubt’.
There is a growing belief that Russia may have given up on the total occupation of Ukraine and is now focused on dividing the country in two.
Mr Zelensky, pictured, has said he is willing to compromise with Russia to bring peace ‘without delay’ but will not accept ‘slicing up’ the country
But Alexander Rodnyansky, an adviser to the Ukrainian leader, said his country may not be willing to give up land in the east to secure peace.
He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme: ‘Right now, the pressure is on Russia… Clearly they can’t sustain this war for years and their morale is so low that they cannot even keep up the supplies and logistics, so I wouldn’t say that is a given whatsoever.
‘We’re certainly not willing to give up any territory or talk about our territorial integrity.’
