Ukraine has come up with a proposal to sign a new international treaty on security guarantees, which will include an article similar to Article 5 of the NATO Charter, David Arakhamia, the head of the Servant of the People faction, a member of the Ukrainian delegation, said.
“About a new system of security guarantees for Ukraine. We insist that it be an international treaty, which will be signed by all security guarantors, which will be ratified so as not to repeat the mistake that was once in the Budapest Memorandum. It turned out to be just a piece of paper, and we learned now very, very painfully. We want this to be a working international mechanism of concrete security guarantees for Ukraine,” Arakhamia said at a briefing following the talks with the Russian delegation in Istanbul on Tuesday.
A meeting of the heads of delegations is taking place in Istanbul as part of the Ukrainian-Russian negotiations.
“Round of heads of delegations. David Arakhamia and Vladimir Medinsky. On the fundamental provisions of the negotiation process. Delegations are working in parallel on the entire spectrum of contentious issues,” Mykhailo Podoliak, the adviser to the head of the President’s Office of Ukraine, wrote on Twitter.
It was previously planned that the negotiations would last until March 30.
The United Nations (UN) may initiate the conclusion of agreements on a humanitarian truce between Ukraine and Russia, the UN press service reports.
“Mr. Guterres said that the UN Humanitarian Affairs chief, Martin Griffiths, would ‘immediately explore’ an agreement with Russia and Ukraine for the ceasefire,” according to a press release published on Monday.
Speaking to reporters on the same day, Guterres said that the war in Ukraine had led to “the war has led to the senseless loss of thousands of lives; the displacement of ten million people, mainly women and children; the systematic destruction of essential infrastructure; and skyrocketing food and energy prices worldwide. This must stop,” the Secretary General said.
Guterres hopes that the truce will ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, as well as the safety of civilians.
“It [the truce] will save lives, prevent suffering, and protect civilians,” the Secretary General said.
The UN chief made it clear that any solution “to this humanitarian tragedy is not humanitarian. It is political.”
“I am therefore appealing for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, to allow for progress in serious political negotiations, [aimed] at reaching a peace agreement based on the principles of the United Nations Charter,” the Secretary General said.
KYIV. March 29 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) has made the procedure for delivering humanitarian aid in passenger trains more clear, 50 wagons in 32 trains have been allocated for this.
As UZ reported on its Facebook page, on certain routes these wagons will be specially meant for the delivery of humanitarian cargo.
“This will make it possible to clearly separate the humanitarian mission of Ukrzaliznytsia from our direct work: the transportation of passengers and cargo, and will also provide additional security for humanitarian cargo,” the message says.
Since the beginning of the war, Ukrzaliznytsia has transported more than 7,800 tonnes of humanitarian cargo in passenger cars and sent 1,670 cargo cars with humanitarian aid throughout the country. Most of all – to Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia and Odesa.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking before the start of talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, expressed hope that they would facilitate a personal meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents.
“The progress made in these talks will allow the leaders of Russia and Ukraine to negotiate in person,” Erdogan was quoted as saying by Daily Sabah.
He noted that Turkey is also ready to host such talks between the two leaders on its territory.
Erdogan indicated that Turkey is “deeply concerned” about the situation around Ukraine and calls for a ceasefire.
“The negotiation process between Russia and Ukraine has raised hopes for peace. Ensuring a ceasefire as soon as possible would be beneficial to all parties,” the Turkish president said.
“We hope that the meetings [in Istanbul] will benefit both sides and the region,” he said.
“I think it is possible to come to an agreement that will suit both sides and the world community,” he stressed. Erdogan noted that a “permanent, fair, practical solution is required.”
Erdogan also stressed that Turkey is ready to perform mediation functions for as long as necessary. “We are ready to help the peace process as much as you need,” he said, addressing the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
Negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations began in Istanbul on Tuesday morning, they are taking place in the Dolmabahce Palace.
As the President’s Office told Interfax-Ukraine, the Ukrainian delegation included leader of the Servant of the People faction in the parliament David Arakhamia, Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov, MPs Andriy Kostin and Rustem Umerov, adviser to the head of the President’s Office Mykhailo Podoliak, deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mykola Tochytsky, and Deputy Head of the President’s Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
The DIM group of companies is assisting Kiev in strengthening monuments, has completed the installation of protective structures near the monument to Vladimir the Great, the press service of the group reported.
“We immediately responded to the request of representatives of the city authorities, quickly organized and provided everything necessary: scaffolding, formwork, workers who did their part of the work with high quality. Then the monument was laid with sandbags,” the founder and managing partner of the group of companies are quoted in the message. DIM Alexander Nasikovsky.
According to him, then the company will deal with the protective work of the monument to Bogdan Khmelnitsky in the capital.
According to the report, protection of cultural monuments, restoration of destroyed infrastructure and housing stock have now become the main activities of construction companies.
“By joint efforts and tireless work, we show the occupiers where their real place is, and we prove to the whole world that Ukrainians are a motivated, united and invincible nation,” Nasikovsky said.
As reported, the authorities of the capital turned to representatives of the construction business with a request to join the protection of the sights of Kyiv, as well as the creation of 3D models of important cultural and historical monuments, buildings that could fall under the fire of Russian invaders.
