Before I begin…If you are of Irish descent than I wish you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day……
“Peace In Our Time”……That famous statement from Neville back before the start of WW2…..so I thought I would recycle it to apply to the Ukraine/Russia ‘Peace’ talks……
Much as been said, written and predicted about the conflict….all the death, destruction and fleeing people…..very little has been reported about the ‘peace talks’ in progress between the two combatants…..
IST would like to change that…..
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia and Ukraine are close to reaching a deal on Kyiv’s neutrality, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said peace talks are beginning to sound “more realistic.”
“Neutral status is now being seriously discussed along, of course, with security guarantees,” Lavrov told RBC. “Now this very thing is being discussed in negotiations – there are absolutely specific formulations which in my view are close to agreement.”
Ukrainian officials have said they’re open to discussing neutrality as long as Ukraine receives security guarantees from Russia as well as Western powers. Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said Wednesday that a potential plan for security guarantees was being discussed.
“Model of security guarantees is on the negotiating table. What does this mean? A rigid agreement with a number of guarantor states undertaking clear legal obligations to actively prevent attacks,” Podolyak wrote on Twitter.
The report said under the proposed deal, Ukraine would renounce its plan to join NATO and promise not to host foreign military bases or weapons in exchange for protection from NATO allies, including the US and the UK. But the nature of the security guarantees is not clear, and defining them could be a stumbling block for a potential deal as Russia would likely not agree to the Western powers being obligated to defend Ukraine.
Russia also wants Ukraine to recognize Crimea as Russian and recognize the independence of the breakaway Donbas republics. The Financial Times report said these issues are the “biggest sticking point” in the negotiations.
(antiwar.com)
For more information on these ‘talks’…..
I think the death of any deal will depend on the future of Crimea….
Until there is a deal reached the conflict will continue and the death, destruction and refugees will continue…
I hope some sanity will prevail and deal can be reached for there has been more than enough death and destruction.
Unfortunately I cannot see an end any time soon….I do not think that there is much will for an end.
Watch This Blog!
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
In Saner Thought 
My guess is that both sides might hope for a short ceasfire to regroup and re-arm. But Ukraine is unlikely to willingly give away large parts of what it considers to be its country, as that would appear to be a Russian ‘victory’, also justifying Putin’s reasons for the invasion in the first place.
But without direct NATO involvement, Zelenky’s options become more limited every day.
Best wishes, Pete.