Ukraine and Russia are leading confidential negotiations, discussing possible concessions, reports Alice Botha, editor of the political department of the German publication Die Zeit.
This was reported by URA-Inform with reference to Die Zeit.
According to Botha, the talks cover issues such as mutual refraining from attacks on energy infrastructure, prisoner exchanges, the return of abducted Ukrainian children, and a grain agreement.
According to her, the meetings took place in Copenhagen, Kyiv, Malta, Davos, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where, according to Botha, even representatives from China participated. Some of the talks failed: the Black Sea agreement expired after a year, and Qatar's initiative to protect infrastructure stalled with the start of the operation in the Kursk region.
But other efforts have been more successful, with benefits for both sides, and many of the meetings have not been publicly reported because, as Botha notes, it is the non-public talks that produce the most results.
This format, known as track-two, allows the parties to test the boundaries of what is possible. Issues such as a possible postponement of the Crimea decision and possible concessions from Russia are discussed, although the talks are not at the highest level.
Bota explains that the non-public format is needed to avoid excitement.
«Imagine what would happen in Ukraine if rumors suddenly appeared that President Zelensky was ready to cede territory. But when Ukrainian and Russian officials, political advisers and political scientists talk about it confidentially, the other side knows where there is room for maneuver. And where there is none», writes Alisa Bota.
She adds that German officials who call for a solution to the war through diplomacy, not weapons, are aware of the ongoing processes. However, when they talk about peace, they mean the capitulation of Ukraine.
«The question is no longer whether the negotiations will take place. The question is when and how. One thing is of decisive importance: Vladimir Putin must be ready for this, the author summed up.
Recall that it was previously reported how Ukrainians feel about peace talks with the Russian Federation: survey data.