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Russia Ready for Ukraine Peace Talks but Sets Preconditions
In his remarks on September 13, Leonid Kuchma said Kyiv cannot accept trade-offs.
No preconditions are acceptable. Russia is the aggressor nation here. Summit conclusions should be; Crimea is returned to Ukraine, all Russian military/intelligence personnel and weaponry in occupied east Ukraine must withdraw to Russia proper, Ukraine gains sovereign control over all of its borders, no "special status" for the occupied portions of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, Russia pays war reparations. Although elected by a wide margin, the people of Ukraine have made it clear to new president Volodmyr Zelenskyy that he must not cross "red lines" in the Russia negotiations. Those red lines are denoted in this paragraph.
On another note, before the recent "35 for 35" prisoner swap, Putin and French president Macron met. I have a feeling that they arrived at a private understanding of what would be required of Russia in order to end Western sanctions. Very shortly, Ukraine, Russia, France, Germany, and the OSCE will meet in Minsk, Belarus. Ukraine will be represented by the country's second President, Leonid Kuchma. Russia will be represented by Vladislav Surkov who manages the Ukraine portfolio for the Kremlin. These are high officials only one level removed from the respective presidents. Macron cannot bargain away Ukraine sovereignty just to please and placate Russia. I don't trust Macron or Merkel one iota.
Related: Kuchma Says Ukraine Should Not Make 'Unacceptable' Concessions To Russia
Ukraine fears forced concessions at talks with Russia
In his remarks on September 13, Leonid Kuchma said Kyiv cannot accept trade-offs.
9/13/19
Russia is ready to take part in a four-way summit in Paris to try to breathe life into the stalled Ukrainian peace process but has strict preconditions for such a meeting, a senior Kremlin aide said on Friday. Kiev's forces have been battling pro-Russian separatists in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine since 2014 in a conflict that has claimed more than 13,000 lives. Sporadic fighting continues despite a ceasefire agreement. Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France last met in October 2016 for talks to implement a peace deal agreed in the Belarussian capital Minsk the year before but which failed to achieve a lasting ceasefire. "We believe that such a meeting should take place and we agree that it can be held in Paris, as proposed by French President (Emmanuel) Macron," said Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. He said no date had yet been fixed but added that Moscow had three preconditions before it would agree to attend.
The rival armed forces in eastern Ukraine should be separated on either side of the line of contact, he said. Also, the wording on a special status for the Donbass region should be agreed and there must also be a preliminary agreement on what the summit's conclusions should be. Hopes for an improvement in relations between Russia and Ukraine have revived following a prisoner swap last week. Ushakov called the exchange "a very important action," which he said could facilitate better ties between the two countries. He said he did not rule out the Paris summit taking place in October. Ukraine's new president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said earlier on Friday he expects to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in September and that peace talks to resolve the Donbass conflict would also take place this month.
No preconditions are acceptable. Russia is the aggressor nation here. Summit conclusions should be; Crimea is returned to Ukraine, all Russian military/intelligence personnel and weaponry in occupied east Ukraine must withdraw to Russia proper, Ukraine gains sovereign control over all of its borders, no "special status" for the occupied portions of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, Russia pays war reparations. Although elected by a wide margin, the people of Ukraine have made it clear to new president Volodmyr Zelenskyy that he must not cross "red lines" in the Russia negotiations. Those red lines are denoted in this paragraph.
On another note, before the recent "35 for 35" prisoner swap, Putin and French president Macron met. I have a feeling that they arrived at a private understanding of what would be required of Russia in order to end Western sanctions. Very shortly, Ukraine, Russia, France, Germany, and the OSCE will meet in Minsk, Belarus. Ukraine will be represented by the country's second President, Leonid Kuchma. Russia will be represented by Vladislav Surkov who manages the Ukraine portfolio for the Kremlin. These are high officials only one level removed from the respective presidents. Macron cannot bargain away Ukraine sovereignty just to please and placate Russia. I don't trust Macron or Merkel one iota.
Related: Kuchma Says Ukraine Should Not Make 'Unacceptable' Concessions To Russia
Ukraine fears forced concessions at talks with Russia