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“Belgrade is open to welcome the Russian and Ukrainian sides to negotiate in our city,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in a TV show in Serbia on Monday evening.
Vucic’s statement comes at a time when delegations have already arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, for Tuesday’s talks.
After many rounds of negotiations, Russia is no longer demanding that Ukraine be “denazified” and is ready to allow Kiev to join the European Union if it remains militarily disengaged, according to the four people involved in the talks.
Moscow and Kiev are discussing a ceasefire as part of a possible deal that would include Ukraine’s waiver of NATO membership.
The draft ceasefire document does not contain any discussion of three of Russia’s key initial demands: “denazification”, “demilitarization” and legal protection of the Russian language in Ukraine, the sources added.
Ukraine and the West, meanwhile, remain skeptical of Putin’s intentions, worrying that the Russian president could use the talks as an excuse to recharge his already tired two-month-old forces and plan a new offensive.
David Arakhamia, leader of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party in parliament and a member of Kiev’s negotiating team, told FT that the parties were close to an agreement on Ukraine’s security guarantees and EU bid, but said caution should be exercised regarding prospects for a possible advance of Russian forces on the ground.
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