Zelensky cautiously optimistic – heads of government have arrived in Kyiv

Dusseldorf, Kyiv Talks between Ukraine and Russia to end the Ukraine war are still unsuccessful. All the same, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy remains cautiously optimistic. The negotiating positions sounded more realistic, he said in a video message. “It takes effort and patience. Every war ends with an agreement.”

According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, both sides are close to agreeing on some of the wording for an agreement. A neutral status for Ukraine is being seriously discussed, he told the Russian news portal RBC.

The talks are expected to continue on Wednesday. Ukraine demands an end to the war and a withdrawal of Russian troops. Among other things, Moscow is demanding that Kyiv recognize the annexed Black Sea peninsula of Crimea as Russian and the Ukrainian separatist areas as independent states. Ukraine should also forgo EU and NATO membership.

Also on Wednesday, the defense ministers of the NATO countries will discuss how to proceed at a summit meeting. The question is: How far can and does the alliance dare to advance in the Ukraine war? Germany, France and the USA continue to categorically rule out military intervention in the war.

Ahead of the meeting, Poland has now proposed a “peacekeeping mission” involving NATO. Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski says during his visit to Kyiv. “I think there is a need for a peacekeeping mission — NATO, possibly a broader international structure — but a mission capable of self-defense, operating on Ukrainian territory.” The mission could provide humanitarian and peaceful assistance in Ukraine perform and be protected by international armed forces, Kaczynski openly explained. The first reactions from other NATO countries were cautious. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in Brussels that he wanted to first look at the possible details.

The core of the NATO states’ deliberations on Wednesday will be a significant and permanent reinforcement of the eastern flank. It’s about more military in Poland and the Baltic States that directly border Russia. In addition, a discussion about the long-term strengthening of security in all areas should be started, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

One thing is clear: Ukraine will continue to receive weapons from Great Britain, despite Russian warnings. “We continue to supply arms to Ukraine from many directions, and these are going to the front lines,” Wallace said. The Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian military training area Yavoriv near the border with Poland did not make the deliveries any more complicated.

Ukraine: Russian army lost up to 40 percent of units

Alarm was reported from several cities in Ukraine on Wednesday night. The Russian bombing raids on Kyiv continued, residential buildings were hit again. According to the Ukrainian general staff, the Russian army has already lost up to 40 percent of the units that have been involved in fighting since the Russian invasion on February 24.

These troops were either completely crushed or had lost their combat effectiveness, the general staff in Kyiv said in a situation report on Wednesday night. He did not give a specific number. The information cannot be independently verified.

The worst situation continues to prevail in the area around the embattled port city of Mariupol, it said. Here the Russian army is trying to blockade the city on the western and eastern edges. However, she suffers significant losses. According to the authorities, around 20,000 people from the city on the Azov Sea, which was surrounded by Russian troops, were able to get to safety on Tuesday.

Altogether almost 30,000 civilians were able to withdraw from embattled towns and villages across the country on Tuesday, Zelenski said. However, a column with relief supplies for Mariupol is still being blocked by Russian soldiers. In the Odessa region, the coast was shelled by Russian ships, Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said. But there was no attempt to land.

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“You are not alone”: EU heads of government meet Zelensky in Kyiv

The heads of government of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia pledged their solidarity and support to the Ukrainian President Zelenskiy at a meeting in embattled Kyiv. “Here, in war-torn Kyiv, history is being made,” emphasized Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. “Here freedom fights against the world of tyranny. The future of all of us hangs in the balance here,” he said on Twitter.

According to Ukrainian media reports, Selenski described the visit as a big and courageous step. At a time when many foreign embassies had left Ukraine because of the Russian invasion, “these leaders of independent European states” would show that they were not afraid. “They are here to support us. I’m sure that we can really win with friends like this, countries, neighbors and partners like this.”

This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the Ukraine war:

The politicians from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia traveled to Kyiv by train. According to a Polish government spokesman, the visit was planned in the strictest secrecy in consultation with the EU and NATO. The Ukrainian capital is repeatedly shelled. It was considered possible that the three politicians returned shortly after meeting Zelenskiy. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced a briefing at the Prague-Kbely military airfield for Wednesday morning.

>> Read about this: Arrived in Kyiv: Prime Ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia send a strong signal of solidarity

International efforts to end the fighting are also continuing: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is traveling to Moscow, Polish President Andrzej Duda to Turkey. Ukrainian President Zelensky himself delivers a speech before the US Congress via video transmission.

Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has expressed reservations about the chances of success in the talks between Russia and Ukraine. “I’m skeptical about the peace talks as long as Putin is still at war in Ukraine. He needs to implement a ceasefire and withdraw his troops for these peace talks to be taken seriously,” Truss told the BBC. Putin must be stopped “at all costs”.

More: “Putin wants to drive up the blood toll” – international law experts warn of further escalation