Ukraine insists Russia must withdraw completely before signing peace agreement

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Ukraine’s chief negotiator in the ongoing peace talks with Russia said Wednesday that Kyiv will only sign an agreement once all Russian forces have completely withdrawn. 

"When we reach the conditional signing of the agreement, or at least the point when it can be seriously discussed, they will have to withdraw completely. And only then will we sit down to sign, endorse or initial it," David Arakhamia, head of Ukraine’s delegation and negotiating team, said during an interview with a Ukrainian news outlet.

"At the negotiations, we talk[ed] about the return of their troops to their positions as of Feb. 23 this year. As long as they remain in the territories they've occupied after Feb. 23, there can be no agreements of any kind," he added. 

A crane operates at the regional government headquarters of Mykolaiv, Ukraine, after a Russian attack, March 30, 2022. At least 15 people were killed in a missile strike on the regional government headquarters on Tuesday, March 29, 2022.  (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

RUSSIA CLAIMS LITTLE ACCOMPLISHED IN PEACE TALKS WITH UKRAINE

Ukrainian and Russian negotiators adjourned talks in Turkey Tuesday to discuss demands on both sides with their corresponding governments.

Arakhamia on Tuesday proposed an "international mechanism" that would establish security guarantees to dissuade Moscow or other aggressors from future invasions. 

Ukraine has called for the proposal to be signed by all permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, including the U.S., U.K., France, China and Russia, who would agree to defend Kyiv should it be attacked in the future. 

A soldier comforts Larysa Kolesnyk, 82, after she was evacuated from Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Turkey, Germany, Canada, Italy, Poland and Israel have also been called on to act as guarantors. 

"When representatives of the guarantor countries saw where we started and then where we got in three weeks of negotiations, they became very optimistic," Arakhamia said Wednesday. "But the truth is, it's not so much us as negotiators, it's the armed forces that are doing the work for us. 

"The negotiating position directly correlates with the position on the front, not the other way around. Therefore, God willing, we will have even better positions." 

A view of destroyed buildings and vehicles after Russian attacks on a shopping mall, in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 21, 2022. (Emin Sansar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE: LIVE UPDATES

Since the war began nearly five weeks ago, Ukrainian forces have blocked Russian troops from taking the capital city of Kyiv, and advances have been made in pushing the invading troops back from several cities in the north and south of the war-torn nation. 

Ukraine will not only be continuing its negotiations with Russia but appears to have begun negotiations with allied nations as well.

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The White House said Wednesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "updated" President Biden on the ongoing negotiations with Russia, though the administration has not yet publicly announced whether it will agree to be a guarantor. 

China suggested it was on board with Ukraine's proposal for an "international mechanism" to address its security concerns and said, "We are ready to work with the rest of the international community to uphold common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and support the establishment of a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism."