Topline
As Ukraine negotiates to end Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday he’s willing to discuss remaining a neutral country if Ukraine is given security guarantees from other states, during an interview between Zelensky and Russian reporters that Russia’s government attempted to stop news outlets from broadcasting, according to Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky makes a speech in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Key Facts
Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to consider “security guarantees and neutrality, non-nuclear status of our state,” according to Reuters and the Financial Times’ translations of the interview, which was conducted in Zelensky’s native language of Russian.
Any proposals on neutrality would need to be put to a vote and agreed upon by the Ukrainian people, Zelensky added.
Zelensky said he will not discuss Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand that Ukraine demilitarize, which was one of Russia’s justifications for launching an invasion over a month ago.
Despite recent reports that Ukraine has gone on the offensive against struggling Russian forces in some areas, Zelensky said Ukraine doesn’t plan on attempting to recapture all Russian-occupied land using military force and hopes to reach a “compromise” on the status of two pro-Russian breakaway states in eastern Ukraine, according to Reuters.
Zelensky pointed to what he deemed a “humanitarian catastrophe” in the besieged city of Mariupol, telling reporters it was “impossible” to get food, water and medicine to civilians as Russian forces have blocked all entries and exits to the city.
Surprising Fact
Roskomnadzor—the Russian agency that monitors and censors the country’s media—warned outlets not to publish the 90-minute interview, according to the Washington Post, the latest attempt by Russia to control how its invasion is covered by domestic media. Zelensky posted a recording of the interview on his Telegram channel.
Key Background
Ukraine has said in the past its status as a neutral state will be predicated on legally verified security guarantees from third parties to deter future invasions, with protection possibly coming from the U.S., U.K. and Turkey in recent proposals, according to the Financial Times. Zelensky said earlier this month he does not expect Ukraine will be able to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the near future.
What To Watch For
Ukraine and Russia are set to continue negotiations in Turkey beginning Monday, Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said on Facebook Sunday.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/masonbissada/2022/03/27/zelensky-tells-russian-media-hes-open-to-neutrality-but-ukrainians-need-to-vote-first/