The United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany and Italy on Tuesday urged Western countries not to let down their guard against Russia, which announced their intention to reduce the intensity of their offensive around two Ukrainian cities.
In a telephone conversation, Boris Johnson, Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and Mario Draghi “agreed that Western determination cannot be reflected until the horror inflicted on Ukraine is over,” a spokesman for the British Prime Minister said in a statement.
Russia's announcement came after talks with Ukraine, after more than a month of conflict that has left thousands dead and millions displaced.
The reduction of military activity would take place around the capital, Kiev, and the city of Chernigiv, according to the Kremlin.
However, Johnson echoed the skepticism of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “The Prime Minister stressed that we must judge the Putin regime by its actions, not by its words,” his spokesman said.
Russia committed on Tuesday to reduce military activity around Kiev following “significant” talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, although States The United questioned the “seriousness” of Moscow in those negotiations.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomín said after the meeting that “negotiations on a neutrality agreement and the non-nuclear status of Ukraine enter a practical dimension.”
As a result, he continued, Russia decided to “radically” reduce its military activity around Kiev, the country's capital, and in Chernigov (north).
The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinksi, said that the negotiations were “meaningful”.
Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia considered that there are now “sufficient” conditions for a summit between Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky and Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
Arakhamia called for “an international guarantee mechanism where guarantor countries act in a manner analogous to NATO Chapter 5”, which stipulates that the attack on a member country of the alliance is an aggression against the entire pact.
But for the time being, the United States does not see that Russia, which invaded Ukraine on February 24, has taken concrete steps towards peace with the former Soviet republic.
“I haven't seen anything to suggest that effective progress is being made, because we haven't seen any signs of real seriousness” from Russia, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference in Morocco.
The fighting has already forced more than 10 million people (about a quarter of the population) to leave their homes and, according to Zelenski, left at least 20,000 dead. But Tuesday's announcements offered some hope.
(With information from AFP)
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