Lay down arms, will talk: Russia to Ukraine

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 25

Russia said it was ready for talks with Ukraine even as its troops on Friday bore down on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, which is seen as an attempt to replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a Kremlin-friendly regime. Officials at the UN said they were preparing for millions to flee Ukraine.

While NATO leaders, at an urgent meeting, discussed how far they could go to challenge President Vladimir Putin without engaging Russian forces in direct war, Putin during a conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping said he was ready for “high-level negotiations”.

Russia has captured an airfield close to Kyiv which could serve as the staging post for an assault on the Ukrainian capital where people have taken shelter in makeshift bunkers. Zelenskyy said he was willing to discuss a non-aligned status for his country while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was ready to send a delegation in response to the offer. Moscow wants Ukraine to drop its bid to join NATO and adopt a neutral status.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov too said Moscow was ready for talks “any moment” once the Ukrainian military laid down arms. “No one plans to attack... let us give the Ukrainian people a chance to decide their future,” he said.

The US and Albania have tabled a draft resolution in the UNSC condemning Russia’s aggression. Moscow is hoping it will get New Delhi’s backing.

US President Joe Bide on Thursday announced cutting off five major Russian banks and the Kremlin elite from the international banking system but stopped short of blocking it from SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication). Other G-7 members — Germany, Japan, France, the UK, Italy and Canada — agreed to follow suit.

Putin talks to Xi

In conversation with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, President Vladimir Putin said Russia is ready for ‘high-level negotiations’.

UN Draft resolution

US and Albania tabled a draft resolution in the UN Security Council to condemn Russia’s aggression. Counting on India for support, Russia’s Charge d’Affaires Roman Babushkin said: “We appreciate India’s understanding of the situation and expect it to support Russia at the UNSC.”

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