There is progress in negotiations on Ukraine, but territorial issue is open, - Meloni

Meloni: the territorial issue is still far from being resolved

Despite significant progress in the diplomatic process to end the war in Ukraine, the territorial issue remains the point of greatest tension between Ukraine and Russia.

According to Censor.NET, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said this in an interview with Sky tg24.

"I see the approach not so much of a turning point as of contact regarding a truce, which is still very far away in Ukraine," she noted.

According to Meloni, the parties have made significant progress in drafting documents concerning future security guarantees. These agreements are based on Italy's proposal, which is based on the model of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. This provides for the creation of a collective defense mechanism to ensure Kyiv's long-term security and prevent new attacks. However, the key issue remains unresolved.

"There is a peace plan, which also contains many issues that have been resolved on paper, except that we are very far from resolving the main issue, namely the issue of territories," she added.

The head of the Italian government stressed that Russia continues to make unfounded territorial claims that prevent a final agreement from being reached. Meloni reiterated that the goal of the negotiations is not just any ceasefire, but a "just peace" that respects Ukraine's sovereignty and its internationally recognized borders. Thus, the path to a final settlement of the conflict still requires difficult political compromises.

What preceded it?

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had accepted the US proposal to hold another round of talks next week on ending the war with Russia.
On Saturday, January 24, the second round of negotiations between representatives of Ukraine, the US, and Russia took place in Abu Dhabi.
On February 4 and 5, the following trilateral meetings were held in Abu Dhabi as part of the peace talks.
On February 17, the first day of trilateral talks in Geneva came to an end.
Special Representative Witkoff reported significant progress.
On February 18, the second day of negotiations took place in Geneva.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov and head of the Russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky held a separate meeting after the main round of trilateral talks in Geneva on February 18.
The White House stated that significant progress was made by both sides in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict during the trilateral talks in Geneva on February 17-18.