Ukraine raises its proposals for security guarantees at a meeting with Russian delegates

Ukrainian negotiators raised proposals on security guarantees at today’s meeting in Istanbul with Russian delegates amid ongoing hostilities in Ukraine following the Russian invasion on February 24.

The Ukrainian delegation believes that there should be an international agreement signed by security guarantors if Ukraine accepts to be neutral, saying that the guarantors could be the United Kingdom, China, the United States, Turkey, France, Canada, Italy, Poland and Israel. Some countries have already given their prior consent, Kyiv says.

Kyiv says that the agreement should reflect an effective mechanism for the interaction of the guarantor countries. This may be similar to Article 5 of the NATO Charter (“An attack on one member of the Alliance is tantamount to an attack on the entire Alliance”).

If a war, aggression or special operation is launched against Ukraine, then the guarantor countries should hold consultations for three days after which they are obliged to get involved.

Kyiv also proposed that the  fate of the occupied territories of eastern Ukraine be decided in negotiations between the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin.

The issue of Crimea may also become a separate clause in the peace agreement.

Kyiv says that the issue of linking Ukraine’s neutral status and security guarantees will be put to a referendum.

Only after the people of Ukraine support this agreement, it will be submitted to the Parliament of the guarantor countries and Ukraine for ratification.