Kremlin says Swedish format of Ukraine can be seen as a possible compromise

Moscow: Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov said that the proposal to create in Ukraine the format of a non-bloc state with its own army, following the example of Austria or Sweden, can be considered as a compromise.

“This is an option that is really being discussed now and which can be considered as a real compromise,” he answered a question from journalists, RT reported.

The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said that at the talks Kiev was proposing to create in Ukraine an Austrian or Swedish version of a demilitarized state with its own army.

Medinsky specified that this is being discussed at the level of the leaderships of the ministries of defence of the two countries.

He also added that the key issue for Russia is the status of Crimea and Donbass.

Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are not easy, but there is some hope for a compromise. This was stated in an interview with RBC by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“I am guided by the assessments given by our negotiators. They state that the negotiations are not going well for obvious reasons,” Lavrov said.

However, according to him, there is some hope for a compromise, RT reported.

The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said that Russia’s goal in negotiations with Kiev has not changed, Moscow needs a peaceful, free, neutral and independent Ukraine, and an “agreement for generations” is needed.

“We need a peaceful, free, independent Ukraine, neutral – not a member of military blocs, not a member of NATO, a country that is our friend, neighbour, with which we are developing relations together, building our future, and which is not a springboard for military and economic attacks against our country,” Medinsky said.

Medinsky, explained why negotiations with Ukraine began to take place online.

“Three face-to-face rounds of negotiations took place in Belarus, but we looked – since the logistics are very difficult, in order to save time, effort and money, we decided to avoid flights to Belarus with overnight stays and limit ourselves to daily work from morning to evening in the video conference format,” he said. – IANS