In an interview with domestic media on April 19, Foreign Minister Lavrov revealed for the first time the details of an agreement considered the foundation for ending the war between Russia and Ukraine that the two sides almost reached during negotiations in Istanbul, Türkiye, in March 2022.
According to Mr. Lavrov, part of the draft agreement called the "Istanbul Communiqué" at that time included commitments to ensure security for Ukraine, in which Russia also played the role of a "guarantor". The Russian Foreign Minister revealed that these commitments were "extremely serious", on par with Article 5 of the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) charter.
"What kind of guarantees are contained in this Istanbul document? Ultimately, we are ready to accept, as the Ukrainian delegation wanted, that these guarantees are extremely serious. Yes, the limits of this seriousness are defined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty," Lavrov said in an interview with Sputnik and two Russian radio stations, referring to the agreement that serves as NATO's charter.
Mr. Lavrov in an interview with Russian media on April 19
SPUTNIK SCREENSHOT
However, Lavrov also said that these commitments come with a number of conditions, including that they will not apply to the Donbass region or the Crimean peninsula. If these regions are attacked, the agreement between Russia and Ukraine will be immediately canceled. Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea in 2014, as well as the Donbass provinces in eastern Ukraine in 2022.
Article 5 of the NATO charter states that any attack or threat against one NATO member will be considered an attack against all members of the alliance and entitles them to collective self-defense.
US House of Representatives introduces $95 billion package to vote on aid for Ukraine, Israel
Ukraine has long pursued the goal of joining the US-led military alliance but has so far failed to materialize the goal. Meanwhile, Russia has firmly opposed NATO's admission of Ukraine and wants Kyiv to remain militarily neutral.
Foreign Minister Lavrov also revealed that another provision in the draft "Istanbul Communiqué" requires no military bases on Ukrainian territory, as well as no exercises with the participation of third countries in Ukraine, "unless there is agreement from all guarantors, including Russia and China".
However, according to Russia's top diplomat, Ukrainian negotiators unexpectedly proposed to change some provisions at the last minute. For example, in the provision regarding military exercises with foreign countries, Kyiv wanted to change the phrase "unless all parties guarantee their consent" to "unless a majority of parties guarantee their consent." Because of this, the two sides ultimately failed to reach an agreement in Istanbul, according to Lavrov.
By May 2022, peace negotiations between the two sides collapsed, and have not been restored to this day.
Kyiv did not immediately comment on Lavrov's revelations.
Source link
Comment (0)