The first face-to-face talks between Russia and Ukraine in two weeks began Tuesday in Turkey. Thereby, raising a spark of hope for an end to a war that has devolved into a violent attrition battle.
The Ukrainian president indicated ahead of the talks in Istanbul that his country is ready to declare neutrality, as Moscow has wanted. Also, he is willing to compromise on the disputed eastern territory of Donbas; words that could give the talks a boost. However, he cautioned that the “ruthless war” against Ukraine continued and that Ukrainians were paying the price for the West’s hesitation to impose harder sanctions on Moscow with their lives.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, told the two sides gathering for negotiations that they had a “historic responsibility” to put an end to the conflict.
“We believe that there will be no losers in a just peace. Prolonging the conflict is not in anyone’s interest,” Erdogan said. He welcomed the two delegations seated on opposite sides of a long table.
Putin: “not serious about talks”
Roman Abramovic is the owner of Chelsea Football Club and a longstanding ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He was also present and has been acting in an unspecified mediating role.
Putin’s goal of a swift military victory has been foiled by fierce Ukrainian opposition. But there was little prospect for a breakthrough. Reflecting mistrust among Ukraine’s Western allies, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she believed Russian President Vladimir Putin was “not serious about talks.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced late Monday that Ukrainian forces had retaken Irpin. It is a crucial suburb northwest of the capital, Kyiv. They took it back in a back-and-forth battle that had degraded into a stalemate. He did, however, warn that Russian troops were reorganizing to retake the area.
“We still have to fight, we have to endure,” Zelenskyy said in his nighttime video address to the nation. “This is a ruthless war against our nation, against our people, against our children.”
Earlier discussions between the parties, held in person or by video in Belarus, failed to make progress in ending the more than month-long conflict. It has killed thousands of people and forced more than 10 million Ukrainians to leave their homes. It also includes nearly 4 million people forced out of their nation.
Russia has long insisted that Ukraine abandon any plans to join NATO, which it regards as a danger. Over the weekend, Zelenskyy said he was open to it, stating Ukraine was ready to declare neutrality. But he also stated that any settlement must include security guarantees for Ukraine.
In addition to Irpin, Ukrainian forces reclaimed Trostyanets, south of Sumy in the northeast, following weeks of Russian occupation that left a war-ravaged landscape.
“Fear always makes you an accomplice”
The Associated Press arrived in town shortly afterward to find two Russian soldiers’ bodies abandoned in the woods and charred, twisted Russian tanks. A Russian truck with a cracked windshield stood among stacked ammunition boxes. It had the mark of a red “Z”. Victory signs were flashed by Ukrainian fighters stacked atop a tank. Amid the burnt buildings, befuddled inhabitants waited for help.
It was unknown where the Russian forces went, why they fled, and whether the town would remain free of them. In his overnight address, Zelenskyy emphasized that the situation in Ukraine’s northeast, particularly around Kharkiv, the nearest large city, and other areas, remains tense. He urged Western countries to do more to help Ukraine, including toughening sanctions against Russia and providing more weapons.
“If someone is afraid of Russia, if he or she is afraid to make the necessary decisions that are important to us, in particular for us to get planes, tanks, necessary artillery, shells, it makes these people responsible for the catastrophe created by Russian troops in our cities, too,” he said. “Fear always makes you an accomplice.”
However, the return of Ukrainian soldiers to Trostyanets was a welcome relief for a country hopeful that Russian forces would retreat due to stiff fighting.
Blunders
Putin’s ground forces have been slowed by stronger-than-expected Ukrainian opposition. Western sources also describe it as Russian tactical blunders, low morale, food, gasoline, and cold-weather gear shortages, among other issues.
As a result, Russia appears to be focusing more on the Donbas. It is a primarily Russian-speaking region where Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting for eight years, according to the official.
While this could be a face-saving departure option for Putin, it has also prompted concerns in Ukraine that the Kremlin is trying to partition the country and force it to give up a large chunk of its land. Nonetheless, Zelenskyy’s remarks that he was willing to compromise on the region hinted at a possible discussion route.