On the eve of new talks between Moscow and kyiv, the Ukrainian president said he was ready to discuss several key points to obtain a ceasefire. The Ukrainians confide in him to trust him, with caution.
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Caution, above all, while the threats of assault are still relevant, after a month of war. With negotiations between kyiv and Moscow due to begin this week in Istanbul, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky hinted on Sunday that he was willing to discuss “in depth” its neutrality.
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In Odessa, the largest port in Ukraine so far spared by the bombardments of the Russian forces, the young volunteers who take part in the war effort remain cautious about the very birth of hope. Scalded by the bellicose speech of Vladimir Putin, Pavlo believes that Russia is no longer in a position of strength. “You have to negotiate, but not on any condition. Because from the beginning, Russia behaves with us like a great imaginary empire.”he complains.
“Denazification is an obsession of an ex-KGB agent who has gone mad. It is Ukraine that must set the terms of this dialogue.”
The Ukrainian president is ready to study the question of his country’s neutrality. A central point for Russia before considering a ceasefire. “What does ‘neutrality’ mean? We are not going to attack Russia!, annoys Peter Obouhow, who is part of the Odessa city council. Even if we enshrine this point in our Constitution and our country never becomes a member NATO, it won’t stop the war, because Putin wants Ukraine to be a satellite country of Russia.”
Despite their skepticism, most Ukrainians trust their president to stand up to Russia and try to broker a fair deal. On Monday March 28, the head of Russian diplomacy ruled that a meeting between Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky would be “counterproductive” for the time being and made it conditional on the adoption of Moscow’s demands in the negotiations. “The conflict within Ukraine has escalated all these years, a lot of problems have accumulated“, argued Sergei Lavrov.