Ukraine is aiming for NATO membership, Russia is demanding neutral status for the country. From the Ukrainian point of view, this could now be negotiated – under certain conditions.
Ukraine has not ruled out discussing the country’s possible neutrality in negotiations with Russia.
“Such questions could be discussed in negotiations, that’s quite possible,” said Ihor Showkwa, foreign policy adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, last night on ARD’s “Tagesthemen” when asked whether Ukraine could be ready for negotiations to accept neutral status. Showkwa campaigned for a presidential-level meeting.
Ihor Showkwa on the ARD daily topics
He emphasized that serious negotiations would only be possible if Russian President Vladimir Putin met Zelenskyy. Selenskyj is ready for this. Unfortunately, the Russian side is not willing to do this. The international partners should help bring about such a meeting. However, such negotiations and a possible agreement could only come about when the hostilities had ceased and there was a ceasefire.
“We are not the aggressors”
In such a meeting one could discuss “how it could look with a possible neutrality of the Ukraine”, said Showkwa. “We therefore need strict guarantees so that such a situation can never occur again,” he added. “We are not the aggressors, we will never be the attackers.” On Thursday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and his Russian colleague Sergey Lavrov want to meet in Antalya, Turkey.
Since 2019, the goal of joining NATO has been laid down in the Ukrainian constitution. Russia is demanding that Ukraine renounce this and declare itself neutral.
Showkwa called on Germany “as the economic engine of the EU” to impose further sanctions. His country is asking for an embargo on Russian gas and oil. In addition, goods belonging to Russians should be confiscated. Swift sanctions should be extended to all Russian banks.
He warned: «If we cannot stop the Russian aggressors here, Russia will not stop at the Ukrainian borders, but will move into other countries, into the Baltic republics, possibly Poland. That could go further.”
Source: Stern
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