The Russian government committed itself this Tuesday to a de-escalation around kyiv and another city in the country, after seeing “positive” signs in the last round of talks with Ukraine. However, Western powers greeted Russia’s announcement with caution and skepticism.
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The statements were released after a meeting of negotiators in Istanbul, in order to find a solution to a conflict that began with the Russian invasion on February 24 and has left thousands dead and millions displaced.
The Russian Minister of Defense, Alexander Fomin, stated in Moscow that “negotiations on a neutrality agreement and the non-nuclear status of Ukraine enter a practical dimension” and that Russia decided to “radically” reduce its military activity around kyiv, the country’s capital, and Chernigov (north).
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said he saw “positive” signs in the talksbut assured that his country will not reduce its “defense efforts” in the face of the Russian invasion.
(Read here: US says Russia is repositioning forces around kyiv without withdrawal)
After the round of talks this Tuesday in Turkey, a new meeting between foreign ministers and a possible meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine is now expected.The Russian announcements were met with skepticism and suspicion by Western powers.
In a telephone conversation, the heads of state or government of the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany and Italy urged their allies not to lower their guard.
Boris Johnson (UK), Joe Biden (USA), Emmanuel Macron (France), Olaf Scholz (Germany) and Mario Draghi (Italy) “affirmed their determination to continue raising the costs to Russia for their brutal attacks in Ukraine , as well as continuing to provide Ukraine with security assistance to defend itself,” said a joint statement from those countries.
“We’ll see if (the Russians) deliver,” Biden told reporters.
The Pentagon indicated that some Russian contingents “appear to be moving away from kyiv”, without that being able to be called “a retreat or a withdrawal”.
Stock markets were less skeptical and traded with significant gains.
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On the ground, the truth is that many regions continued to be the scene of bombing and fighting. The government announced on Tuesday that seven people were killed by a Russian shelling of a regional government building in Mikolaiv, a southern port city.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces struck back Tuesday in the north and are fighting to maintain control of the port city of Mariupol in the south.
Russian forces surrounded that city and shelled it constantly and indiscriminately, leaving some 160,000 people trapped with little food, water and medicine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin subordinated the “solution” of the humanitarian situation in Mariupol to the disarmament of Ukrainian “nationalist” groups, during a telephone conversation with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, the Kremlin reported.
Finally, during the day on Tuesday, Russia and Western countries blamed each other in the UN Security Council for the global rise in global food prices, which heralds scenarios of hardship and hunger for many parts of the world, especially countries mired in long crises.
The session became a new reminder of the need that, despite the fighting, the protection of civilians and evacuation corridors be guaranteed.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With AFP and Efe
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