Negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian representatives ended in Istanbul, Turkey, with the meeting lasting three hours.
MP Davyd Arakhamia and adviser to the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office Mykhailo Podolyak spoke on the Ukrainian side. From the Russian side was Vladimir Medinsky, Vladimir Putin's assistant.
Comments by Arakhamia and Podolyak
Arakhamia said that Ukraine insists on signing an international treaty that would regulate the creation of a new system of security guarantees for our country. It must be signed by all security guarantors, including the UN Security Council member countries (the UK, China, USA, Russia, France), Turkey, Germany, Canada, Italy, Poland, Israel.
According to Arakhamia, Ukraine's security guarantees should be similar to Article 5 of NATO, but at the same time, they should be tougher. In other words, if Ukraine becomes the object of aggression, Kyiv has the right to demand consultations within three days. If they do not lead to anything, the guarantor countries should help with weapons and close the sky over Ukraine.
In turn, Mykhailo Podolyak said that the implementation of the decisions would follow the corresponding procedure: a referendum, then ratification by the parliaments of the guarantor countries. Implementation will require a special procedure.
- first, there will be a referendum in which all citizens will express their attitude toward this agreement;
- after that, the document will be ratified by the parliaments of the guarantor countries and the Verkhovna Rada.
Bilateral consultations will be held on Crimea and ORDLO for 15 years. At the same time, the guarantor countries will not prevent Ukraine from joining the European Union.
Medinsky's comment
Meanwhile, Russian representative Vladimir Medinsky called the negotiations with Ukraine "constructive."
According to him, the Kremlin received proposals from Ukraine for consideration and a "clear formulated position on inclusion in the treaty."
"We have agreed and proposed a solution after which the meeting of heads of state is possible simultaneously with the initialing of the treaty by foreign ministers," Medinsky said.
In turn, Deputy Head of the Russian Defense Ministry Alexander Fomin said that, in order to further conduct negotiations, the Kremlin decided to "cardinally reduce military activity in the Kyiv and Chernihiv directions."
As reported, Russia no longer requires Ukraine to "denazify", "demilitarize" and to grant the official status of the Russian language in our state. In addition, it is ready to accept Ukraine's accession to the EU subject to Ukraine's refusal to join NATO.