Post #5166

🔤🔤🔤🔤➖ How a demilitarized zone would be governed has also been a sticking point. Ukraine has pressed for an international peacekeeping force to be deployed to the region, which is home to 190,000 civilians including 12,000 children, according to the area’s Ukrainian governor. The negotiators discussed forming a civilian administration to rule the area after the war, two of the three people familiar with the talks said. This could include both Russian and Ukrainian representatives, one of the people said, but the person noted that the sides are far from an agreement. Another issue that has re-emerged recently is the sequencing of the various steps, including accepting a demilitarized zone, formalizing security guarantees, creating a framework for postwar reconstruction funding and holding elections in Ukraine. Last week, Zelensky said Ukraine wanted an agreement on security guarantees before committing to an election or any agreement on withdrawing forces from the Donbas. “I would very much like us to sign security guarantees first and then sign other documents,” he said. “In my view, that would be a good signal. This is not even a matter of fairness, but a matter of trust. More trust in partners — if guarantees come first, and then everything else.” Zelensky said Ukrainians must “know — not just believe, but know — that in the future Russian aggression will be impossible or that if it does happen, we will not be alone.” #zelensky#peace#talks#putin 📱American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸