Three questions for Istanbul: what Zelensky and Putin can talk about
13 May 14:28
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for peaceful settlement, claims that Ukraine and Russia have three problematic issues to resolve on the way to signing a peace. He said this in an interview with Breitbart, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The interview took place last Thursday, when there was no talk of a meeting in Istanbul on May 15, but even then Vitkoff spoke about the possibility of a “summit” where Zelenskyy and Putin could meet.
“I think it’s quite possible,”
– said Vitkoff about the possibility of a meeting between Zelensky and Putin.
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What they might talk about in Istanbul
According to Vitkoff, there are three key issues that need to be addressed:
- details on the division of territories;
- the fate of the ZNPP;
- ukraine’s access to strategically important waterways (the Dnipro and the Black Sea).
Moreover, according to the Special Representative, these issues can be agreed upon.
“There are things that, in my opinion, will not be difficult to resolve if we bring the parties to the negotiating table. They will communicate with each other, we will narrow down the issues between them, and then we will find compromises and creative solutions to address the concerns of each side. If we physically accomplish that, then hopefully we will have good news soon… and a good chance of ending this conflict.”
Mr. Vitkoff noted that the issue of regions involves 5 regions where fighting is taking place, and the differences lie in the interpretation of the territories:
“Russia has control – overwhelming control – over two of these regions. The Ukrainians have some degree of control over the other three regions, so the question is how we evaluate. After all, there is a difference between where the combat lines are, where the troops are located, and administrative borders… Now we are talking about what Russia could accept in these regions. Will you retreat beyond certain administrative borders? The same goes for Ukrainians.”
The other two questions concern natural and man-made infrastructure in the regions:
“The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is an important part of this discussion because it is a kind of gem and is currently closed. But we need to reopen it, because it supplies a lot of electricity to some cities in Ukraine.”…. [The other issue is how Ukraine will have access to water and be able to deliver its goods to the market.”
However, perhaps the biggest part of the problem, according to Mr. Vitkoff, is getting both sides to the table. So, if this does happen, there will be grounds for optimism.
The parties’ positions on the upcoming talks in Istanbul
On the night of May 11, Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced his readiness for direct talks with the Ukrainian side, which are to take place in Istanbul on May 15. However, in his statement, he did not mention a single word about a possible 30-day ceasefire, as the Ukrainian side and its partners want.
US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine must urgently agree to the talks in Turkey proposed by Putin for May 15. At the same time, the American president did not pay attention to the absence of a 30-day truce clause in the Kremlin’s proposal.
Nevertheless, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed and wrote that he would personally wait for Putin in Turkey to meet on May 15. At the same time, he expressed hope that the ceasefire would begin on May 12.
However, no official statements from the Kremlin followed Zelenskyy’s agreement.
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