Ukraine studying issue of neutrality: Zelensky
One of the main issues raised by Russia during the negotiations with Ukraine is neutrality, and it is being discussed within Kiev, according to the president.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
The Russian demand for Ukrainian neutrality, which has been a key issue for Moscow throughout its negotiations with Kiev, is being closely looked at by Ukraine's negotiators, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday.
"This point of the negotiations is understandable to me, and it is being discussed. It is being carefully studied," Zelensky told the press during an interview.
Earlier this month, the Kremlin has said Sweden and Austria offered models of neutrality that Kiev could adopt to help Moscow take the decision of ending its special military operation in Ukraine.
Negotiations to put an end to the war in Ukraine have been taking place between the two parties for a month now, and their focal points were Ukraine staying out of NATO, disarmament, and security guarantees.
The parties to the crisis held three rounds of negotiations in Belarus, and talks are going on an almost daily basis via videoconference.
The first round took place in Gomel, Belarus, just four days after the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine; the second took place in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Belarus, and the third took place in Brest, Belarus. However, most of the talks took place online.
Russia had launched a special military operation in Ukraine due to NATO's eastward expansion, the Ukrainian shelling of Donbass, and the killing of the people of the Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic, in addition to Moscow wanting to "denazify" and demilitarize Ukraine.
