(International Observation) What signal does the Russia-Ukraine negotiation send out?

  China News Agency, Moscow, March 1, Question: What signal does the Russia-Ukraine negotiation release?

  China News Agency reporter Zhang Shuo Tian Bing

  The first round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Gomel Oblast, Belarus, ended on February 28.

Five hours of negotiations failed to reach a ceasefire agreement, and the two sides agreed to meet again in the Polish-Belarusian border area in the near future.

On February 28, local time, negotiations between Russia and Ukraine officially started in Belarus.

A much-anticipated negotiation

  After the talks, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations said that the two sides had identified a series of priority issues and found some predictable common positions.

The two sides also discussed the possibility of holding a second round of negotiations.

  The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has caused casualties on both sides, and a large number of Ukrainian refugees have poured into European countries.

The world economy was hit.

  The talks in Gomel Oblast are the first public contacts between the two sides since the Russian military launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24.

Prior to this, the international community has repeatedly called for dialogue and negotiation between the two sides, and many countries have expressed their willingness to mediate.

  On February 24, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Russia to withdraw its troops, stressing that "this conflict must cease immediately".

On the same day, NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg said that NATO has no intention to send troops to Ukraine, but has launched a coalition defense plan and urged Russia to immediately stop military operations in Ukraine.

Shahid, President of the 76th UN General Assembly, also issued a statement recently, calling on the Russian and Ukrainian troops to immediately stop the exchange of fire and resolve disputes through dialogue.

On February 27, the UN Security Council met and asked the UN General Assembly to hold an "emergency special session" on February 28 to discuss how to take collective action on the situation in Ukraine.

This is also the first resolution passed by the Security Council on holding an emergency special UN General Assembly in 40 years.

The leaders of the G7 also held a conference call on February 28 and reached a consensus on continuing to jointly support the Ukrainian government and refugees.

  In addition, many countries also expressed their attitude to promote peace talks.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Sijardo previously stated that Hungary is willing to provide Budapest as a venue for Russia-Ukraine peace talks; Israeli Prime Minister Bennett had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 27, saying that Israel can participate in mediating the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on February 28 that he hopes Russia and Ukraine will find solutions to all critical issues in the negotiations.

French President Macron directly sent a message to Putin, hoping to resolve the current conflict as soon as possible through dialogue and negotiations with Kyiv...

Negotiation venue selection 'very delicate'

  The negotiation did not come easily, and the location of the negotiation was finally determined after many iterations.

  Since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis in 2014, through the mediation of the international community, the two parties to the conflict reached a ceasefire agreement in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

After the conflict, the outside world also called for the two sides to continue negotiations in Minsk.

  The Russian side also suggested holding talks in Minsk at the beginning, but the Ukrainian side believed that Russia and Belarus had close relations and Belarus was involved in the conflict, so they proposed to hold talks in the capitals of some central and eastern European countries, but these NATO countries are obviously the Russian side cannot. accepted.

  In the end, after negotiation by both parties, the negotiation location was arranged in Gomel Oblast, which is also a compromise and effort made by Russia and Ukraine to facilitate contact.

  Gomel Oblast is located in the southeastern part of Belarus, bordering Ukraine and Russia. Its administrative center, Gomel is the second largest city in Belarus, 302 kilometers away from Minsk, the largest city, 567 kilometers away from Moscow, the capital of Russia, and Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. 222 kilometers.

As for the specific negotiation location, for security reasons, the relevant parties have not announced it to the outside world, only that it is near the bank of the Pripyat River, and the negotiator Belarus calls it the "fisherman's hut".

  According to the results of the first round of negotiations, the two sides tentatively agreed to hold a second meeting in the border areas of Poland and Belarus.

While no specific location has been revealed, the choice is equally subtle.

Choosing to hold the second meeting on the Polish-Belarus border is believed to be one of the "consensus" reached by Russia and Ukraine this time.

On February 28, local time, a bridge was damaged in the town of Butcha, a suburb of Kyiv, Ukraine.

On the 28th, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators held talks in Gomel Oblast, Belarus.

It is reported that the negotiation lasted for 5 hours, discussed some key issues, and reached an intention for the next round of negotiations.

Negotiations 'difficult' but should 'continue'

  During the negotiations, the confrontation over the situation in Ukraine continued outside the venue.

  The day before the talks, Putin on February 27 ordered the Russian military's strategic deterrent forces to enter a state of special combat readiness.

The day after that, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Russia's "nuclear trinity" began to strengthen the preparation of the implementation of combat duty.

  On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a formal request for Ukraine to join the European Union on February 28, and urged Brussels to approve Ukraine's accession to the European Union as soon as possible through special procedures.

On March 1, according to Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine's representative to the EU, the EU has officially started the process of reviewing Ukraine's application for accession.

  Putin said in a phone call with Macron on February 28 that the mediation of the Ukrainian conflict can only be based on unconditional consideration of Russia's legitimate security interests, including recognition of Russia's sovereignty over Crimea, completion of Ukraine's "demilitarization" and "denazification", etc. task and ensure the neutrality of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian President's Office said that the core issue of the talks is to achieve an immediate ceasefire and withdraw Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.

The demands of the two sides are far apart and even tit for tat.

  At the same time, the West continues to strengthen its "economic sanctions war" against Russia.

The U.S. Treasury Department said on February 28 that it would prohibit U.S. citizens from conducting any transactions with the Russian Central Bank and impose sanctions on Russia’s national sovereign wealth fund; Switzerland announced on the same day that it had decided to adopt the EU’s sanctions plan to freeze Russian assets in Switzerland.

In this regard, Putin signed a presidential decree on the adoption of special economic measures against the unfriendly behavior of the West on the 28th.

  Although there are continuous actions inside and outside the Russian-Ukrainian venue, some experts here pointed out that bilateral contacts will continue in the future, and will consider promoting the next round of negotiations as soon as possible.

But at the same time, "talking while fighting" may become the norm.

Some analysts pointed out that while the West has increased sanctions against Russia, the Ukrainian government will continue to seek deep ties with the United States and the West.

  The Ukrainian issue has complex historical and practical factors, and involves the interests and concerns of all parties. The solution should be balanced.

It is imperative that all parties exercise necessary restraint to prevent the situation from worsening or even going out of control.

Although the negotiation is difficult, the realization of this negotiation shows that both sides have the will to solve the problem through dialogue.

The international community should also intensify efforts to persuade peace and promote talks, rather than adding fuel to the fire.

(over)