Russia announces reduction of military activity in Kiev and Chernigov
Russia today announced a decision to "cardinally" reduce military activity around the Ukrainian capital Kiev and the besieged northern city of Chernigov following negotiations with the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul
"In order to increase mutual trust and create the necessary conditions for continuing negotiations and achieving the goal of reaching a consensus and signing an agreement, the Russian Defence Ministry decided to reduce military activity around Kiev and Chernigov several times" on the Russian side, Deputy Defence Minister Alexandr Fomin said.
He said that Russia was taking this step because it realised that negotiations on "neutrality and non-nuclear status" and the granting of "security guarantees" to Ukraine had entered "a practical level".
Fomin expressed confidence that "appropriate decisions will be taken in Kiev and conditions will be created" for the continuation of negotiations. He noted that the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces will report to Russian President Vladimir Putin upon his return to Moscow.
For his part, the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, for the first time alluded to the possibility of a "treaty" between Moscow and Kiev after negotiations that he described as "constructive", and stressed Moscow's willingness to take "two steps towards de-escalation of the conflict", one military and the other political.
"After today's substantive talks we have agreed and proposed an arrangement, according to which the meeting of the heads of state is possible simultaneously with the initiation of the treaty," he said, referring to Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky.
Medinski said that the signing of such a treaty "will not be a simple matter", as the meeting where it is "possibly" consummated will have to include not only Russia and Ukraine, but also the "countries that are guarantors of peace and security in Ukraine".
"Thus, by working quickly on the treaty and reaching the necessary compromise, the possibility of achieving peace will be much closer," he said. In turn, Fomin urged Ukraine to comply with the Geneva Convention regarding the treatment of Russian prisoners of war after Moscow alleged abuses by the Ukrainian army.
