Russia to demand ‘ironclad’ security guarantees during Ukraine peace talks

“We will demand that ironclad security guarantees become part of this agreement. Since only through their formation will it be possible to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine and, in general, strengthen regional security,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in an interview with the daily Izvestia newspaper.

Expressing that part of these guarantees should include the neutral status of Ukraine and NATO’s refusal to accept Kyiv as a member state, Grushko said NATO is being “more aggressive” through its military actions.

Grushko reaffirmed Russia’s objection to the deployment of a peacekeeping force in Ukraine, defining peacekeeping and NATO as “incompatible things.”

“They brag a lot that it is a defensive alliance, but the real history of the alliance consists of military operations, a series of aggressions without any reason, just to once again emphasize its hegemony in world and regional affairs,” he said.

The deputy foreign minister claimed that the introduction of the topic of a peacekeeping force in Ukraine by French President Emmanuel Macron seeks to “distract public attention from domestic problems.”

He further said Moscow also has an “extremely skeptical” attitude toward the involvement of the OSCE in a possible peacekeeping mission, but that the presence of a civilian mission in Ukraine is possible.

“This could include unarmed observers, a civilian mission that would monitor the implementation of individual aspects of this agreement, or guarantee mechanisms,” he said.

Grushko did not rule out the re-establishment of dialogue between Russia and the EU, similarly to the ongoing contacts between Moscow and Washington, adding that it is unclear how Europe could take part in peace talks on Ukraine.

The US and Ukrainian delegations met last Tuesday in the Saudi city of Jeddah to discuss prospects for a possible peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, after which a joint statement declared Kyiv’s readiness to accept a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Washington.

Putin said Thursday that his country agrees with the proposals to end hostilities but added that Moscow will accept them only if it would “lead to long-term peace and eliminate the initial causes of this crisis.”