Russia: Kiev Willing to Meet Russia's Main demands

In peace talks with Ukraine, the chief negotiator said Wednesday that Kiev has consented to establish a neutral status. The country's ambition to become a member of the U.S.-led military bloc was one of the reasons Russia said it launched a special military operation in late February. 

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Medinsky's statement follows a peace summit between both parties held in Istanbul, Turkey. He said the Ukrainian side submitted a draft plan outlining a future peace agreement. In this regard, the Russian diplomat said that the summit that took place yesterday marked the first time Ukraine agreed to meet a certain number of the most pressing demands that Russia asked for to build normal and, hopefully, good neighborly relations in the time to come.   

The official also referred to the 2014 coup in Ukraine, saying that his country has been calling on Kiev, its patrons, and, in particular, the U.S., to address those demands. He said Moscow has tirelessly proposed negotiations and a number of agreements to ensure Ukraine's security and provide for Russia's domestic interests in this arena.      

Medinsky said that all these demands have fallen on deaf ears for years and that NATO has been using Ukrainian territory for years to create an anti-Russian foothold. Ukraine's membership in NATO and the creation of NATO military bases on its territory looked to be a stubborn affair. He added, saying that there were also efforts to create biological weapons, which have already been proven. Along these lines, the official also said that the issue concerning Ukraine acquiring nuclear weapons also became public.          

The Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics have been besieged all these years by Ukrainian military forces, which recently increased shelling of the region, given Russia's recognition of their independence. There is evidence proving that Kiev was planning to launch an offensive against the Donbass region in the time to come. 

In a scenario like that, Russia would have had to defend tens and tens of thousands of our Russian citizens living there anyway, Medinsky said, stating that Russia was forced to launch a special preemptive military operation in these conditions.      

Ukraine has agreed for the first time to establish negotiations with Russia and forwarded the terms of a possible future deal which includes the fixation of Ukraine's bloc-free status, the renunciation of nuclear weapons, as well as an obligation to conduct troop exercises only with the consent of the guarantor states, which must include Russia.  

The Russian diplomat said that it is paramount to agree upon this treaty at the highest level. He also said that if all these obligations are accomplished, then the threat of creating a NATO beachhead on Ukraine will be eliminated.