Ukraine conditions dialogue on Crimea on success of its counter-offensive against Russia

Ukraine opened this Thursday to talk about the future status of the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, as bloody fighting continues in the cities of Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Maryinka, whose fate will largely decide which side has the best cards. .

“If we manage to achieve our strategic goals on the battlefield, when we reach the administrative border with Crimeawe will be ready to open a diplomatic page to resolve this issue,” Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Sibiga told the Financial Times (FT).

The adviser pointed out that this does not mean that Kyiv excludes the possibility of liberating the peninsula as part of a counteroffensive of troops. Ukraine plan for the next few weeks or months.

Kyiv is trying to allay the fears of the West

These statements, according to the FT, are one of the clearest signs of intent to date. Ukraine to negotiate about Crimeawhich could “soften” the fears of Western countries, which were suspicious of a possible attempt by Kyiv to recapture the peninsula by force.

Sibiga stressed that the talks in the president’s entourage about possible negotiations concern exclusively Crimea.

Until now, Ukraine she has publicly ruled out dialogue with Moscow until all Russian troops are withdrawn from all of its territory, including the Black Sea peninsula.

However, the press secretary of the President of Ukraine Serhiy Nikiforov confirmed that on issues such as the future Crimea First of all, we need to be guided by the statements of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Sibiha himself later clarified his words by saying that negotiations on Crimea This is just one of the “options” that Kyiv is considering.

Fighting continues in anticipation of a counteroffensive

Meanwhile, the General Staff Ukraine pointed out in his daily part that the forces Russia Attacks continue with the aim of taking “completely” the city of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian troops have repelled at least 20 assault attempts over the past day.

“The epicenter of hostilities is still in Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Maryinka,” he notes.

The Ukrainian military report also states that the Russian army is “strengthening its defensive lines and its positions” in the territories it controls in Zaporozhye and Kherson in southern Ukraine. Ukrainepresumably in anticipation of a possible Ukrainian counteroffensive.

For his part, Secretary of the Defense and Security Council UkraineAlexey Danilov, said that only a very small number of people know the details of the future Ukrainian counteroffensive.

“The start date of certain military operations and hostilities is known only to a very narrow circle of people,” he said in statements collected by the UNIAN news agency.

He immediately added that the rest of the people would know about the beginning of the counteroffensive when it had already begun.

The fortress of Bakhmut still stands

The head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, for his part, confirmed that Ukrainians are resisting in a strategic city bahmutwhere they keep the defense “within the city”.

Prigozhin, who a few days ago proclaimed control of his fighters over the city’s mayor’s office, was convinced that the Wagner units would “kick out all” the Ukrainian military.

Meanwhile, the authoritiesr Russia in the Donetsk region ensured that the security forces Ukraine they had already lost more than 15,000 men in the battle for Bakhmut.

Putin seeks to alienate the enemy from the Donbass

This Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin received Donetsk leader Denis Pushilin in the Kremlin and pointed out that the task of Russian forces in Donbas is to move the demarcation line with Ukrainian troops to such a distance that they cannot hit Russian troops and the capitals of Donetsk and Lugansk with their artillery.

“The goal is to ensure that there are no more shellings,” said Putin, who on Monday also met with Moscow-appointed leaders of annexed Luhansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson.

(As reported by EFE)

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Fernando Carvallo selects information and shares his vision of national and international news. subscribe to our mailing list