Finns det möjligheter för förhandlingar mellan Ryssland och Ukraina?

We are not not afraid of Russia, we are not afraid to talk with Russia, talk about everything: security guarantees for our country and a neutral status. But we are not in NATO now – what security guarantees will we have? Which countries will give them?

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov considers President Volodymyr Zelensky’s readiness to discuss a neutral status for Ukraine “a movement towards the positive.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov ... the country’s top diplomat said Zelensky “is, to say it simply, lying, when he declares that he is ready to discuss the neutral status.” “The opportunities missed by President Zelensky are well known, so there is no need to shift the blame to others,” Lavrov said. He added that, by “freeing Ukraine from militarism and neo-Nazism” through its military operation, Russia was aiming to provide Ukrainians with the opportunity “to determine their own future without any pressure from outside.”

The only issue today should be to stop the war and to secure the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. The only way that could happen is a Washington-Moscow agreement that Russia withdraws in exchange for a commitment of Ukrainian neutrality. Anything else is war mongering.

During a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday morning, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky asked that Jerusalem serve as a mediator with Russia to help resolve the military conflict between the countries.

President Vladimir Putin previously ordered the Russian troops to halt their advance on Friday, awaiting a response from Kiev, Moscow said. It added that the offensive continued on Saturday.

Alexey Arestovich, an adviser at Zelensky’s office, confirmed to Ukrainian media that Kiev has declined the talks with Russia, citing the “terms” put forward by Moscow through intermediaries. “It was an attempt to force us into capitulation,” he said, without elaborating.

However, moments later, another official at Zelensky’s office, Mikhail Podolyak, told Russian outlet RBC that Kiev did not reject the negotiations.

“Undoubtedly, Ukraine did not refuse to negotiate,” he said, underlining that negotiations have not yet taken place. “Ukraine and President Zelensky categorically reject any unacceptable or ultimatum-like conditions of the Russian side.”

Kiev “confirmed” the planned talks in Gomel Region, which is close to the borders of both Russia and Ukraine, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky told reporters.

Speaking in Russian in a video message on Sunday, Zelenskyy left the door open for negotiations elsewhere and listed the cities of Warsaw, Bratislava, Istanbul, Budapest or Baku as alternative venues.

"We agreed that the Ukrainian delegation would meet with the Russian delegation without preconditions on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, near the Pripyat River," he said in a statement.

Zelensky has said he will not hold talks with Russia on the territory of Belarus, where some Russian troops were stationed before invading on Ukraine's northern border.

But Kyiv said Lukashenko assured Zelensky that "all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on Belarus territory will remain on the ground during the travel, negotiations and return of the Ukrainian delegation".

“We will not surrender, we will not capitulate, we will not give up a single inch of our territory,” Dmytro Kuleba says at a press conference broadcast online.

Mötet för Rysslands och Ukrainas delegationer i Vitryssland kan börja på måndag morgon, då representanter för Kiev beslutat att gå in i republiken från Polen, berättade den vitryska statsvetaren Yury Voskresensky, nära medarrangörerna av förhandlingarna, till RIA Novosti.

Han tillade att inte fler än fyra eller fem personer ingick i den ukrainska delegationen: den biträdande utrikesministern, representanter för den militära och politiska sfären, samt chefen för Tjänare av folkets fraktion, David Arakhamia.

Tidigare har chefen för den ryska delegationen, presidentassistent Vladimir Medinsky, sagt att parterna kommit överens om att mötas i Gomel-regionen i Vitryssland vid gränsen till Ukraina. Detta föregicks av ett telefonsamtal mellan Alexander Lukasjenko och Vladimir Zelensky. Den ryska delegationen anlände till Gomel i morse. Förutom Medinsky ingår de biträdande försvars- och utrikesministrarna Alexander Fomin och Andrei Rudenko, ambassadören i Vitryssland Boris Gryzlov och chefen för statsdumans internationella kommitté Leonid Slutskij.

The Vatican, the cardinal said, is “willing to facilitate dialogue with Russia” and “ready to help” all parties involved to return to the negotiating table.

“I am convinced there is always space for negotiation. It’s never too late!” said Parolin, citing Francis’ repeated calls to overcome conflict through dialogue and fraternity.