KIEV

- The young Ukrainian Vadim, displaced to Lviv, disagrees with the city's daughter, Svetlana, over the idea of ​​"security guarantees" demanded by Kiev to declare neutrality. While the first talks about his confidence in the authority and the armed forces and their "strong position" in negotiations with Russia, the second expresses Her concern, but she says that with every choice stops the war.

At a time when Ukraine is negotiating with Russia to end its war that has been going on since February 24, the country is arguing about the idea of ​​"security guarantees" demanded by Kyiv to declare neutrality. , and disappointment aborts hope for membership in the "defensive guarantor", the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Vadim, who was displaced a few days ago from the capital Kyiv to the city of Lviv in western Ukraine, says, "I trust the authority and our armed forces, and I believe that they have brought us to a strong position in the negotiation processes. The security guarantees that we want include commitments by relevant and influential countries, and they are mainly directed against Russia, Because it is the only one that can break the covenants, as it turns out."

As for Svetlana, a resident of Lviv, she expresses her concern "over the fate of Crimea, Donbass and the areas controlled by Russia under the negotiation process," but at the same time, "with every option, the war stops without recurrence, and life returns to normal."

"In the end, every decision will be put to a popular referendum, and the Ukrainians will decide what is best for them," she says.

Before the guarantees became a reality, its controversy was reflected in the street and communication sites, and in the statements of officials and opponents, after weeks in which the "single spirit" was the master of the scene in the country, as the Ukrainians say.

The Trilateral Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Russia, Turkey and Ukraine in Antalya (Anatolia)

Better than organic

Whoever considers the required guarantees a victory sees them overcoming the "mistakes of the past", and giving Ukraine a security that does not diminish its ability to be a strong country in terms of militarily, thus surpassing many of the NATO countries itself.

And speaking of errors, a reference to the “Budapest Document of 1994”, according to which Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for guarantees of maintaining its security and territorial integrity and sovereignty by Russia (accused today of violating the agreement and attacking Ukraine), the United States and Britain.

"Russia was among the guarantors, as a permanent member of the Security Council, and today's guarantees include pivotal countries, such as Germany, Turkey, Israel and China," said Oleksiy Aristovich, an advisor in the Ukrainian presidential office.

On the mechanisms required according to these guarantees, Aristovich says that “in the event of a military aggression against Ukraine, within 3 days, the guarantor countries must start emergency consultations and provide military, economic and humanitarian assistance, including closing the airspace, supplying weapons and ammunition, etc.” .

"The guarantors pledge to support Ukraine's accession efforts to the European Union, including Russia, which (according to him) agreed to this," he added.

The adviser believes that "in this is a victory, and privileges that NATO countries do not even enjoy," adding that "we did not make concessions to say that we lost ... but rather improved our position in all rounds of negotiation."


Meaningless guarantees

On the other hand, opponents underestimate these guarantees, and even consider them "meaningless", as long as Russia is a party to them, and that "Ukraine will regret" the idea of ​​neutrality and abandoning its NATO membership endeavors.

"I know one thing for sure, any agreement with Russia is worth nothing," says Volodymyr Ariev, a parliamentarian from the opposition "European Solidarity" party. "We have not forgotten the lesson in 1994."

"If the Russians are not pressured now, and if we abandon the idea of ​​collective security in the Euro-Atlantic framework, we will let Putin get away with it, Moscow will regain its strength, regardless of all its failures, and Ukraine will pay a heavy price," he added.

Ariev likened these guarantees: "We swam the whole sea and sank near the shore. Will others agree to drown with us?"

Former Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk had warned his country against abandoning NATO membership efforts and accepting the idea of ​​"neutrality in exchange for guarantees", saying that "Ukraine will regret this."