The third round of Ukraine-Russia talks has produced small positive shifts in the matter of providing humanitarian corridors, an advisor of the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said.
“Third round of talks is over. Small positive shifts to improve the logistics of humanitarian corridors,” Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted on Monday.
The corridors will be altered for a more efficient evacuation, he said.
As for the other issues, intense consultations continue, he said.
“From the standpoint of the key political trek – ceasefire, reconciliation, cessation of hostilities – intense consultations will continue. As of today, there is no result to make any considerable improvement in the situation. Still, yet again I want to stress: the consultations will continue and we will get the results,” Podolyak said.
Today’s talks lasted more than three hours in Belavezhskaya Pushcha, Brest region, Belarus, the same place where they were held the last time on March 3. The first round was held in Gomel region on February 28.
Advisor to the Head of the President’s Office Mykhailo Podoliak said the third round of talks between Ukraine and Russia has ended, there are some positive developments in improving the logistics of humanitarian corridors.
“The third round of negotiations has ended. There are some positive developments in improving the logistics of humanitarian corridors… Intensive consultations have continued on the basic political block of the settlement, along with a ceasefire and security guarantees,” he said on Twitter on Monday evening.
The talks with Russia have not brought the results desired by Ukraine just yet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address on Monday night.
“There is no result desired by us just yet. Russia declared its position, and we made an argument in order to stop the war. We received certain signals. When the delegation returns to Kyiv, we will analyze what we have heard and will decide how to proceed to the second round of negotiations,” Zelensky said.
Ukraine and Russia outlined certain decisions during the negotiations, Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the head of the President’s Office of Ukraine said.
“The Ukrainian and Russian delegations held the first round of talks today, the main purpose of which was to discuss the issues of a ceasefire on the territory of Ukraine and hostilities. The sides identified a number of priority topics on which certain decisions were outlined,” he said.
“In order for these decisions to get some opportunities for implementation, logistical solutions, the parties leave for consultations in their capitals. The sides discussed the possibility of holding a second round of negotiations in the near future, at which these topics will receive concrete development practice,” he said.
According to Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, the next meeting “will be held in the coming days on the Polish-Belarusian border, there is a corresponding agreement.”
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Joe Biden discussed in detail the construction of the Nord Stream 2 project from Russia to Germany, Ukraine’s integration into NATO, the situation in Donbas and the implementation of reforms in Ukraine, adviser to the President’s Office head Mykhailo Podoliak has said.
“The conversation was very specific, substantive and covered key topics for our bilateral relations. The risks of the Nord Stream 2 construction for European security, the fastest and most effective Ukraine’s integration into NATO, the real situation in Donbas without any admixture of Russian propaganda, the obvious implementation of reforms in Ukraine and, in particular, the process of de-oligarchization,” Podoliak told Interfax-Ukraine.
According to him, “both the President of the United States and the President of Ukraine assess the existing risks for the European region security pretty much the same.”
Podoliak also said that “President Biden invited President Zelensky to visit Washington in July upon Biden’s return from a series of summits to be held in June.” “This is a G7 meeting, a NATO summit, a bilateral summit between the United States and Russia,” he said.
“After all these events, it will be quite logical to once again coordinate the policies of our states, and once again conduct and synchronize our partner positions,” the adviser to the President’s Office head said.
Ukraine, the European Commission and the Russian Federation held technical consultations in Brussels on Tuesday to prepare for the next round of trilateral talks on gas transit after January 1, 2020.
NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy said in a press release that during the consultations the parties discussed Ukraine’s progress in the implementation of the norms of the European legislation and the creation of independent gas transmission system operator.
In addition, the signing of an interconnection agreement between the operators of the gas transmission systems of Ukraine and the Russian Federation on standard European conditions was discussed, as well as the methodology of tariff formation for gas transportation, and other issues.
The next round of trilateral gas transit negotiations is expected to take place on October 28.
