ISTANBUL, April 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia and Ukraine are willing to move forward with talks despite images of bodies found in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, but there are “issues pending”, a Turkish official said.
“Both Russia and Ukraine are willing to hold the talks in Turkey but they are far away from agreeing on a common text,” the official said.
There are “some issues pending” including the status of the Donbas and Crimea regions as well as security guarantees, according to the official, who added there was no date fixed for the next round of negotiations.
Turkey, which hosted talks last week between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, has been mediating for an end to the conflict.
“We are the only country that can talk to both parties, the only country able to talk to Russia,” the official stressed.
Turkey has strong ties with both Russia and Ukraine. As a NATO member, it has supplied Kyiv with drones but has shied away from joining Western sanctions against Moscow.
“Imposing sanctions is not a good way to solve the issue,” the Turkish official said, adding that Ankara would only join UN sanctions.
The official said the most delicate issues were discussed in Istanbul between the two countries’ negotiators, without providing any details.
“We have some ideas about the content but is it a peace treaty? We cannot qualify the document.”
According to the official, the two countries have “agreed on some issues” including the so-called de-Nazification, Ukraine’s neutrality and security guarantees.
But they have to define the security guarantees because some countries “are concerned this could lead to direct confrontation with Russia,” the official said.
“There are some legal issues to be solved as part of guarantors.”
At the earlier peace talks in Istanbul, Ukrainian negotiators said Kyiv was ready to accept neutrality in return for security guarantees to be provided by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council as well as some other countries including Turkey, Germany, Canada and Israel.
Ukrainian negotiators have compared the security guarantees they want to the NATO treaty’s Article 5 where members agree to come to the defence of one another in case of military aggression.
On March 31, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had said the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers could meet within two weeks but the images that emerged from Bucha last weekend have cast a shadow on the peace talks, according to the Turkish government.
Russia has accused Ukrainian negotiators of changing demands since the Istanbul talks, claiming that Kyiv was not interested in ending fighting.
In return, Ukraine urged Russia to show it was ready for dialogue by lowering “hostility”. — NNN-AGENCIES
