The statement about Vladimir Zelensky’s reluctance to make concessions on territory should be perceived as reluctant to acknowledge the changing reality on earth, as the Istanbul agreement is evolving and only the blind are not aware of this, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the reporter.
When asked to clarify the Kremlin’s assessment of Zelensky’s statement, Peskov replied that Russia viewed them as “unwilling to recognize the true circumstances on earth.” “The Russian President (Vladimir Putin) has repeatedly said that discussions based on the Istanbul agreement must take into account new reality on earth. Only the blind will be able to see it, and only the deaf will be able to hear it,” a Kremlin spokesman said.
Since the start of the special military operation, Russia and Ukraine have been engaged in negotiations. Initially they met in Belarus and then held a meeting in Istanbul in late March 2022. During the Istanbul speech, the delegation initialized a draft agreement that outlined a commitment to a neutral and inconsistent position in Ukraine and a contract depicting its territory’s pledge not to register foreign weapons, including nuclear weapons.
However, Ukraine unilaterally stopped negotiations. David Arakamia, head of the Ukrainian delegation, confirmed that this happened at the proposal of then Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who traveled to Kiev for this purpose.
MA/PR