Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks: President Zelensky Says More Realistic, Foreign Minister Lavrov Says Close To Agreement

Rescue teams put out a fire in a building that burned as a result of the Russian attack. (Wikimedia Commons/dsns.gov.ua/State Emergency Service of Ukraine)

JAKARTA - New talks on Moscow and Kyiv's compromise on Ukraine's status outside NATO raised hopes on Wednesday for a potential breakthrough after three weeks of war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said negotiations were becoming more realistic, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the proposals now under discussion were close to a deal.

"Meetings are continuing, and, I'm told, the position during the negotiations is already sounding more realistic," President Zelensky said in a video address overnight.

The Kremlin said the two sides were discussing Ukraine's similar status with Austria or Sweden, both EU members that are outside the NATO military alliance.

The head of a delegation of Ukrainian negotiators said Kyiv was still demanding a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops. Signs of compromise sent aid through global financial markets.

In what is seen as a major change, President Zelensky said on Tuesday, Ukraine could receive international security guarantees that put a stop to its long-standing goal of joining NATO.

Removing Ukraine from Western military alliances is one of Russia's main demands, before it launches what it calls special operations to disarm and 'denazify' its neighbour.

"Neutral status is now being seriously discussed, of course, with security guarantees. There is a really specific formulation that I think is close to an agreement," said Foreign Minister Lavrov.

Separately, Vladimir Medinsky, Russia's chief negotiator, told state TV: "Ukraine offers an Austrian or Swedish version of a neutral demilitarized state, but at the same time a country with its own army and navy."

Ukrainian rescue workers evacuate residents from buildings hit by Russian attacks. (Wikimedia Commons/dsns.go.ua/State Emergency Service of Ukraine)

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the idea "could really be seen as a compromise". Austria and Sweden, the largest of the six EU members outside NATO, both have small militaries that cooperate with the alliance.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's chief negotiator, Mykhailo Podolyak, said Kyiv was seeking direct talks between President Zelensky and President Putin. Moscow said they could meet but only to finalize an agreed-upon deal.

"Our position in the negotiations is quite specific, legally verified security guarantees; ceasefire; withdrawal of Russian troops. This is only possible with a direct dialogue between the heads of Ukraine and the Russian Federation," Podolyak said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered troops into Ukraine on February 24, said Moscow was ready to discuss neutral status for its neighbour.

But President Putin also said Russia would achieve its goals in Ukraine and would not bow to what he called Western attempts to achieve global domination and divide Russia. The military operation "is going according to plan," he said in a televised address.

However, entering the 21st day of the invasion, bloodshed occurred in many places, as Russian troops surrounded and bombarded

The United States says Russian troops shot and killed 10 people waiting in line for bread in the city of Chernihiv. The US did not cite evidence of the attack and Russia did not comment on the allegations, which were made in the US Embassy statement.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia governor said Russian troops had fired heavy artillery at a convoy of refugees from the southern port city of Mariupol, wounding five people. The Ukrainian military said children were among the victims.

Three weeks into the conflict, Russian troops have been halted at the gates of Kyiv, having suffered heavy losses and failed to capture one of Ukraine's biggest cities, in a war that Western officials say Moscow hopes will win within days.