Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for any potential peace agreement aimed at ending the war in Ukraine to include setting a deadline for his country’s accession to the European Union.
In a post on the “X” platform on Wednesday, Zelensky stated that Ukraine “will do everything in its power” to be “technically ready” to join the European Union by 2027, stressing that his country will achieve at least the main steps required to achieve this goal.
“I want a specific date,” Zelensky stressed, warning that any peace agreement that does not include a clear timetable for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, which is supposed to be signed by the United States, Russia, Ukraine and Europe, could allow Moscow to obstruct the process indirectly through some European parties, without acting directly.
Zelensky considered his country’s accession to the European Union a security guarantee for Ukraine, and stressed the need to include clear details and a fixed timetable in any agreement.
In a related context, a high-ranking Russian diplomat stated that any settlement of the conflict that has been ongoing for about four years between Moscow and Kiev must take into account the provision of security guarantees to Russia.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko explained, in a statement to the “Izvestia” newspaper, that “the peace settlement in Ukraine must take into account Ukraine’s security interests, but the main factor remains Russia’s security interests.”
He added: “If we examine the statements of European Union leaders, we will not find talk about security guarantees for Russia, and this is an essential element in any peace agreement, and without it an agreement cannot be reached.”
These statements come at a time when, over the past few weeks, negotiators from Russia and Ukraine held two rounds of talks in the UAE, with the participation of representatives of the United States, but without reaching a peace agreement.
However, during the final round last week, the two sides reached an agreement on the first prisoner-of-war exchange in five months.
Security guarantees for Ukraine are among the main issues discussed, in addition to the issue of control over Ukrainian territory and the country’s post-war reconstruction plan.
According to Zelensky, documents related to security guarantees for Ukraine are ready, while Grushko revealed some possible terms for these guarantees, which include old Russian demands, most notably the ban on Kiev joining NATO, the refusal to deploy forces from NATO countries in Ukraine within any settlement, and stopping what he described as using Ukrainian territory to threaten Russia.
The two parties also agreed to hold a new round of talks at a later time, without specifying a date, with the next round being held in the United States, Zelensky announced.
