Ukraine says it is ready to discuss neutral status with Russia

Ukraine is not afraid to talk to Russia about the neutral status and security guarantees. Kiev announced its readiness for negotiations on the issue against the backdrop of Russia's massive military operation in Ukraine.

Ukraine is ready to negotiate its neutral status with Russia, but Kiev must receive security guarantees too, adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine Mikhail Podolyak said, RBC reports.

"Ukraine has always left and leaves space for negotiations, including now, when Russia went for a full-scale invasion. This war must be stopped. These hostilities must be stopped,” Podolyak said.

As President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said in his address, he did not see that the European countries were ready to fight with Ukraine against Russia, nor were they ready to grant NATO membership to Ukraine.

"They are afraid," Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine was "not afraid” to talk with Russia about the neutral status and security guarantees.

"Today we heard from Moscow what they wanted to talk. If they want to talk about neutrality, we have no fear of such a discussion. The only question is who and how will be able to guarantee the security of Ukraine and the implementation of the agreements by the guarantors,” Podolyak said.

Until 2014, Ukraine had a non-bloc status, but the country then proceeded to adopt a new strategy, one of the goals of which was to become a member of NATO and the European Union.

Russia launched a powerful military operation in the Donbass on February 24. The purpose of the operation is to cleanse Ukraine from pro-Nazi-minded people and neutralize the military potential, which has grown "pretty much” lately, as Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, this is not the beginning of war with Ukraine, but the desire to prevent a situation that would lead to a global conflict.

On the contrary, Ukraine saw Russia's attack as a war outbreak. Ukraine declared martial law and general mobilization. Kiev severed diplomatic relations with Moscow.

Prior to the beginning of the military operation in Ukraine, Russia held security guarantees talks with the United States and NATO. Moscow announced that the alliance was supplying arms to Ukraine in bulk and demanded NATO abandons its expansion to the east. However, the negotiations did not produce a visible result. Washington and NATO said they would not abandon the principle of open doors for countries wishing to join the bloc.

Russia launched military operation against Ukraine to destroy its military potential on February 24.