Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Belarus. File photoWASHINGTON, Mar 19Contradictory reports of talks between Russia and Ukraine leave Western countries confused as they wonder what Ukraine is willing to ultimately sacrifice for a ceasefire, writes The Washington Post. referring to American and European officials. As officials told the publication, Vladimir Zelensky is facing a «torturous choice», his government is still deciding which of the demands of the Russian side can be acceptable, what concessions it is ready to make. At the same time, the details of the peace agreement that the Ukrainian authorities are discussing with Moscow remain a mystery to Western leaders, the newspaper emphasizes.The State Department is beginning to slip from its «unwavering» position, Medvedev said Zelensky's mixed signals about how close Kyiv is to reaching an agreement with Russia are heightening concerns about the «negotiation trajectory,» diplomats said. As a source familiar with the situation told the newspaper, Zelensky, during talks with the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, “did not show much interest in a negotiated settlement, but said that Ukraine would continue to fight until (Russian President Vladimir) Putin changes his demands.” . Commenting on Zelensky's office adviser Mykhailo Podolyak about progress in the talks, a U.S. official told the newspaper that this means authorities in Ukraine have not come to a firm understanding of what Ukrainians are willing to sacrifice for a ceasefire. The U.S. is «puzzling» over these conflicting reports on Ukraine's position, another official said. Secret rounds of talks could bring the conflict to an end, but could also have wide-ranging European security implications: Western officials fear that if Russia succeeds in forging political change on Ukraine, using military force, means that it can use this tactic in other places, the newspaper writes. After the start of the special operation, the Russian Federation and Ukraine held three rounds of negotiations in Belarus, the Russian delegation is headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. Now negotiations in this format are being held daily via video link.Lavrov spoke about Russia's demands at the talks with UkraineMedinsky on the eve said that the neutral status of Ukraine and its non-entry into NATO are topics on which Moscow and Kyiv have brought their negotiating positions as close as possible. According to him, Moscow and Kyiv are «halfway» on the issue of demilitarization of Ukraine within the framework of the ongoing negotiation process. Commenting on the topic of denazification at the talks, Medinsky said that representatives of Kyiv believe that they do not have Nazi formations and this is not a topic for modern Ukraine. He also noted that the people of Donbass should decide for themselves the issue of managing the territories they live in. Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.» For this, according to him, it is planned to carry out «demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine», to bring to justice all war criminals responsible for «bloody crimes against civilians» in Donbass. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Armed Forces strike only at military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops. With the support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the DPR and LPR groups are developing an offensive. But the occupation of Ukraine is out of the question, the President of Russia stressed.
