Russia and Ukraine to meet Monday for next round of talks

Chief Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said on Sunday that the next round of peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia would take place on Monday in Turkey.

On Facebook, Arakhamia wrote that delegations from the two countries would meet in Turkey March 28-30, with further details on the meeting to follow.

The meeting was also confirmed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s office on Sunday, with the meeting place set as Istanbul.

As Axios reported, Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, expressed some “cautious optimism” about the next meeting with Russia last week.

“It is still difficult and not easy and there is a question whether we can reach an agreement. But there is progress and we think the moment when the two leaders can meet is getting closer,” Yermak told reporters.

“We have cautious optimism. The negotiations are ongoing and there are things we think we can agree on,” he added. “The most important things for us are stopping the war, withdrawing all Russian forces and creating a new security framework for Ukraine.”

Erdoğan indicated last week that some progress had been made in the negotiations, saying that agreements had been made on four of six points. Erdoğan said disagreements regarding territorial issues remained.

Zelensky on Sunday said Ukraine was prepared to consider a status of neutrality in a peace deal with Russia if the agreement was guaranteed by a third party.

“Security guarantees and neutrality, non-nuclear status of our state. We are ready to go for it. This is the most important point,” Zelensky said in a call with Russian journalists.