Zelensky wants to talk to Putin

UKRAINE could declare neutrality and offer security guarantees to Russia to secure peace “without delay,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said ahead of another planned round of talks – though he said only a face-toface meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin could end the war.

In an interview with independent Russian media outlets, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine’s priority is ensuring its sovereignty and its “territorial integrity” – preventing Russia from carving up the country – but he added: “Security guarantees and neutrality, non-nuclear status of our state – we are ready to go for it.”

Russia’s foreign minister,

Sergey Lavrov, said yesterday that the two presidents could meet, but only after the key elements of a potential deal are negotiated.

“The meeting is necessary once we have clarity regarding solutions on all key issues,”

Lavrov said in an interview with Serbian media. He accused Ukraine of only wanting to “imitate talks”, but said Russia needed concrete results.

In an overnight video address to his nation, Zelensky said Ukraine sought peace “without delay” in talks due to get underway today in Istanbul. That location was agreed after Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, spoke to Mr Putin on Sunday, the Turkish leader’s office said. Negotiators were expected to arrive in Turkey yesterday.

With Russia’s offensive stalled in many areas, its troops have resorted to pummelling Ukrainian towns and cities with rockets and artillery in a grinding war of attrition. Fierce fighting has raged on the outskirts of Kyiv, but Russian troops remain miles from the city centre, their aim of quickly encircling the capital faltering.