Some Ukrainian soldiers say Russians must withdraw before peace talks are held
Alina Smutko and Herbert Villarraga
Zaporizhzhia Region of Ukraine (Reuters) – After defending against attacks in a three-day weekend ceasefire announced by Russia, some Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the front line have advised their president Volodymyr Zelenskiy: Don't talk to Moscow until Russian troops withdraw.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had a direct conversation with Ukraine more than an hour after the ceasefire ended, Zelenskiy said it was possible, but only after Moscow agreed to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire from Monday.
At the end of the ceasefire, prepare drones to observe the movement of Russian troops, commanders of a Ukrainian National Guard’s Ukrainian National Guard told Reuters using a call sign Chepa that any negotiations can only be made with the entire evacuation of Russia from the Ukrainian border, and the country won independence in 1991.
“As soldiers and citizens of Ukraine, I believe we should go back to the 1991 border before we sit at the negotiating table,” Chepa said in a bunker near the frontline.
“That's it. All the troops are completely evacuated from Ukrainian territory. Then, when we can talk. He (Putin) was thinking, riding in certain areas or dividing the territory, no one gave him the right to do so.”
Chepa's point of view was responded to by others in the unit.
Russia accounts for nearly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory and repeatedly says Kiev must recognize the “real reality”.
Zelenskiy acknowledged that at least some of Ukraine's occupied territories must be overcome again through diplomacy. But Kiev cannot legally recognize Russia's control over any Ukrainian territory due to the constitution.
Zelenskiy said that any discussion on territory could be conducted only after the ceasefire was in place.
Putin used a late-night press conference to propose negotiations, saying that Ukraine should agree to permanent neutrality based on the draft agreement for negotiations in 2022.
This contradicts Ukraine's constitution, which was revised in 2019 to include the goal of NATO's “mature members.”
Zelenskiy received support from European powers on Saturday, when leaders from Britain, France, Germany and Poland supported an unconditional ceasefire starting Monday.
Chepa said he wanted to negotiate, too, but was worried that they would never show up.
“Yes, we do need negotiations. But he (Putin) is afraid of negotiations,” Chopa said, adding that his brigade had no evidence of a ceasefire over the weekend.
“We didn't see any ceasefire, rocket launcher howitzers continued to attack, and they used all of that. We didn't experience any ceasefire.”
Russia's movement continued until Sunday after the ceasefire announced by Russia ran out at midnight (2100 GMT).
“There are a lot of actions for both military and civilian vehicles,” Chepa said. “It's interesting that there's a civilian car very close to the contact line. Be careful, be careful. They have to make the most of it.”
(Written by Elizabeth Piper; edited by Giles Elgood)
