Ukraine Warupdated 1h ago3 min read
Archive photo · 21 July 2019Zelenskyy Sets Non-Negotiable Red Lines For Abu Dhabi Talks With Russia Under US Mediation
“That war is about Donbas.”
“Restrictions on our army and Ukraine's neutrality are not up for discussion.”
Photo: Mykola Lazarenko / Presidential Office of Ukraine, CC BY 4.0 · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi in early November with Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. Zelenskyy rules out limits on Ukraine's army size and neutral status.
Talks, red lines, and Starlink
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signaled readiness for talks on Sunday on Ukrainian television and said, “We are ready for talks,” while he set red lines that security guarantees for Ukraine, the size of the Ukrainian army, and decisions on alliance memberships are “non-negotiable.”
“‘We are ready for talks,’ Zelenskyy said on Sunday on Ukrainian television.”
The Kremlin announced that direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian intermediaries under US mediation were planned for the first half of November in Abu Dhabi, as Zelenskyy said territorial questions must be discussed at the level of heads of state and government.
Serhii Beskrestnov, a adviser to Zelenskyy, rejected Elon Musk’s Starlink accusations and said long-standing restrictions on the civilian version of the service in Ukraine exclude use for offensive attacks.
Zelenskyy also renewed calls for a ceasefire for attacks on energy infrastructure, as Ukraine fears more heavy Russian strikes on its energy supply in the coming winter.
Interior Minister Ihor s. Chmara announced that speed restrictions had been lifted, and the connections remained stable even at speeds of more than 400 kilometers per hour.
Technical talks and army limits
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States agreed to hold technical talks in Abu Dhabi during the first half of November, and he said he hoped the technical talks would pave the way for a meeting at the level of leaders.
Zelenskyy told TSN that Ukraine would not accept limits on the size of its military or neutral status as part of a peace agreement, and he said, “Our security guarantees are our security guarantees. They cannot be dictated by the Russian side.”
Zelenskyy also said, “If I have enough funding, I want to maintain an army of 800,000 people,” and he framed the question as who is prepared to fund Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
Vladimir Putin said any future trilateral talks should focus on security guarantees for both Russia and Ukraine and that the goal of the talks would be to ensure security after reaching peace agreements, “not as a result of a temporary ceasefire for some short period of time.”
Zelenskyy said the issue of the territories was a red line that could only be discussed at the highest leadership level, and he said, “Other issues can be discussed at the level of technical groups.”
Ceasefire test in Oleshky
Zelenskyy discussed the planned ceasefire in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in an interview on Oct. 25, and he said the planned Oct. 27 ceasefire would need to last several days and include Russian assistance.
Zelenskyy said residents in Oleshky face severe shortages of food, water, and electricity, and he said mined roads and constant drone attacks make safe evacuation virtually impossible.
Zelenskyy warned that Russia would clear roads in a way that encourages people to go towards Russia and stay there, and he said, “they won't simply let people go.”
The plan described in the sourced information called for clearing minefields from access routes, then delivering food, medicine, and essential supplies, and relocating people who wish to leave to safer places.
Zelenskyy said, “Energy, grain, and people – these are the specifics,” and he framed a leadership-level meeting after the trilateral meeting as an opportunity to achieve those tangible results.