Negotiations on Ukraine’s territory are premature while the issue of "security guarantees" remains unresolved, - NYT

Trilateral peace talks in the UAE: what is known?

A few days before the talks in Geneva, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the agenda included a compromise solution to the territorial issue proposed by the United States: the creation of a free economic zone in the Donetsk region.

This was reported by The New York Times, as relayed by Censor.NET.

What the US is offering

This involves the creation of a free economic zone (FEZ) in the Donetsk region as a compromise settlement. Although neither Kyiv nor Moscow are enthusiastic about this idea, it is precisely what the parties are to discuss during the new round of negotiations.

Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine is ready to consider the FEZ option, but only on condition that it receives clear security guarantees from the United States.

Security guarantees

Harry Nedelcu, senior director of the Rasmussen Global research organisation, emphasised that the order of actions is key. According to him, there is a risk that Ukraine may find itself in a vulnerable position, as the United States is only prepared to act as a guarantor after a peace agreement has been signed.

"Russia will use this pause to launch another attack," the expert believes.

Russia's position and risks for Ukraine

The Russian Federation demands the transfer of territories that have become a powerful fortified area for the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the years of war. As noted, this is not only their surrender, but also the creation of a militarised zone — probably in the form of a free economic zone — which could become a strategic springboard for Russia to resume offensive operations.

At the same time, obtaining security guarantees before any territorial decisions are made could strengthen Kyiv's position at the negotiating table. Such guarantees could also influence Ukrainian society's attitude towards a possible compromise.

Europe's scepticism

Despite statements about the readiness of the agreement, its details have not yet been made public. European partners remain sceptical about the full implementation of security guarantees.

This raises the question of whether it is premature to focus the negotiations in Switzerland on the territorial issue, when there is still no clear understanding of the security guarantee mechanism.

We would like to remind you that the first round of negotiations the day before ended without any signs of progress.

What precede it?

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he had accepted the US proposal to hold another round of talks next week on ending the war with Russia.
On Saturday, 24 January, the second round of talks between representatives of Ukraine, the US and Russia took place in Abu Dhabi.
On 4 and 5 February, the next trilateral meetings within the framework of the peace talks took place in Abu Dhabi.
On 17 February, the first day of trilateral negotiations in Geneva came to an end.
Special Representative Witkoff announced significant progress.
The second day of negotiations in Geneva began on 18 February.