Three-Day Talks With Ukraine to Begin in Turkey; LPR Calls for Vote to Join Russia

LOCAL NEWS

• Ukraine & Russia to hold talks in Turkey from Monday-Wednesday. Over the weekend, Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to discuss neutrality and non-nuclear status if security guarantees are provided.
  • Also said he wanted to reach an agreement with Russia over the Donbass as it was impossible to fully remove Russia from Ukraine, but a deal was only possible if Russian troops withdrew from Ukraine and if de-militarisation was not on the agenda at talks.
  • He also repeated that there are no plans to capture Crimea by force and that a referendum could decide Ukraine’s neutral status - RTRS, IFX
• Zelensky said his priorities at talks in Turkey would be sovereignty & territorial integrity, security guarantees and the consideration of neutrality - which would be put to a vote, which could take place within a few months of Russian troops leaving - Sky, Tass
• Biden & Scholz say their remarks were not aimed at causing regime change in Russia. On Saturday, Beden said “Putin cannot stay in power.” Scholz called for Putin to agree to a ceasefire & establish more human corridors and threatened more sanctions “should they become necessary” - Sky
• Head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk people’s republic says his region wants to hold a vote RE joining Russia in the near future. He said people can exercise their constitutional right in this regard, and comes after Russia on Friday said ensuring the safety of the Separatist republics was a key goal of its campaign - TASS

Events:

• 1300GMT: Lavrov addresses UR Commission on international cooperation and support of Russians abroad
• 1400GMT: FinMin Siluanov speaks at state Duma committee hearing