By Nivedita Dash
Russia and Ukraine are now taking steps towards peace after a long fight. Two rounds of talks were almost successful and now the Kremlin hopes that the date for the third round of Russia-Ukraine talks can be decided soon.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that we hope that an agreement will be reached soon. He reiterated that the schedule of talks can be decided only with the consent of both the parties.
No specific date
Peskov clarified that no specific date has been set yet and this process is based on mutual consent. He said This is a mutual process. According to the Kremlin spokesman the pace of the next dialogue process depends on the efforts of the Kiev regime and the US to mediate. He said The ground reality cannot be ignored and it is necessary to keep it in mind.
In the first meeting between Russia and Ukraine an agreement was reached on the exchange of prisoners while in the second meeting an agreement was reached on the return of the bodies of 6000 Ukrainian soldiers and the exchange of sick and prisoners under the age of 25.
The first round of talks took place in Istanbul on May 16 while the second round of talks took place between the two countries in Turkey on June 2. In the last meeting Ukraines Defense Minister Rustam Umarov had proposed that the third meeting be held in the last week of June but these talks could not take place.
What are Russias demands?
Despite the agreement reached on June 2 Russian media reported that the Kremlin had made two proposals for a ceasefire including a demand for the Ukrainian army to withdraw from four regions (Donetsk Luhansk Kherson and Zaporizhzhia) that Russia considers its territory. Apart from this a condition was put forward to hold presidential elections in Ukraine within 100 days.
Ukraines response
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling these demands contrary to the intentions of peace. He demanded new sanctions. Zelenskyy believes that these demands are actually conditions for Ukraines surrender which he will not accept.
Zelenskyys chief of staff Andrei Yermak stressed Russia is doing everything possible to prevent the ceasefire and continue the war. Now it is necessary to impose new sanctions.
Meanwhile Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commented that the solution to the war in Ukraine is to eliminate the root cause of the conflict. He said that Russia is ready to stop the fighting. On the other hand Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured that he is in touch with US President Donald Trump and both are willing to participate in the talks.