Ukraine ready to accept neutral, non-nuclear status

The Ukrainian side has made a number of statements following the talks that ended today, March 29, in Istanbul, Turkey.  Ukraine has submitted its proposals to Russia on the security guarantees treaty for Ukraine. This should be an international treaty to be signed by all guarantors of security, such as Great Britain, China, the USA, Turkey, France, Canada, Italy, Poland and Israel. Some of these countries have already given prior consent. The implementation of this agreement will take place according to the following procedure: first, an all-Ukrainian referendum on the treaty will be held. Then, it will be ratified in the parliaments of the guarantor countries and in the parliament of Ukraine. As for the Crimea, the Ukrainian side proposes to fix the position of Ukraine and Russia regarding the peninsula, and then to continue negotiating the status of Crimea and Sevastopol for 15 years. During this time, both sides are invited not to use armed forces to resolve the Crimean issue. Presidents Putin and Zelensky will discuss the status of the Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic at a personal meeting. All matters of arguments have been been more or less coordinated. The all-Ukrainian referendum can be held only under the condition of peacetime, member of the Ukrainian delegation David Arakhamiya said.