The Russian regime admitted on Monday (4) the possibility of a face-to-face meeting between dictator Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, if certain advances in peace negotiations between the two countries are reached.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, there will only be such a meeting if the “technical steps” of negotiations conducted by representatives of the two countries are considered “satisfactory” by Russia.
“The president does not rule out a meeting, as long as there is sufficient progress in the work conducted by experts,” Peskov said, adding that, so far, the necessary conditions for something like “have not been fulfilled.”
On the Russian side, the conditions for any advance towards peace follows the same since mid -last year. Moscow’s main demands include: international recognition of the Ukrainian regions currently occupied by the Russian forces; Ukraine’s commitment not to adhere to NATO; the maintenance of a military neutral status by Kiev; and the acceptance of borders under Russian control after the invasion.
In recent days, the United States, through President Donald Trump, have determined a deadline for Moscow to agree with a ceasefire in Ukraine. If there is no positive signs for something in this regard by the end of this week, Russia may face new rates and economic sanctions. The US government has not yet lost faith in the negotiations for peace in Eastern Europe, and announced that it sent the representative of White House Steve Witkoff to Moscow to reinforce the request for interruption of fighting, an initiative that was received without objections by Kremlin.
