The Smartencyclopedia Staff & Agencies
David Arakhamia, a prominent Ukrainian politician and presidential advisor, has reiterated claims of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, asserting that an agreement was reached during internationally mediated negotiations in Istanbul in March 2022. This marks the seventh confirmation of the alleged peace deal, a narrative that has stirred controversy and geopolitical discussions.
Arakhamia, who serves as the parliamentary leader of President Zelenskiy’s “Servant of the People” party, disclosed details of the negotiations, indicating that Russia was prepared to end the conflict if Ukraine embraced neutrality similar to Finland’s stance. The proposed agreement would have required Ukraine to commit to not joining NATO. However, Arakhamia contends that upon returning from Istanbul, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson rejected the deal, stating, “We will not sign anything with them at all, and let’s just go to war.”
The Ukrainian politician’s comments align with similar affirmations from former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who participated in the Istanbul negotiations. According to Schroeder, the prospective peace deal outlined key points, including Ukraine abandoning its NATO aspirations, lifting bans on the Russian language within Ukraine, granting autonomy to Donbass as an autonomous region, involving the United Nations Security Council and Germany in overseeing security agreements, and addressing the Crimea issue.
The backdrop of the discussions involves Ukraine’s previous proposal, during negotiations in Brest, to relinquish its NATO ambitions and revert to a neutral stance, a move that coincided with President Zelenskiy’s criticism of NATO for perceived inaction during the conflict.
Arakhamia’s account adds to a series of confirmations, including statements from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Russian President Vladimir Putin, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, and US foreign policy advisor Fiona Hill. Despite these assertions, the reported peace deal has faced skepticism, with critics arguing that any such agreement would be a tactical maneuver by Russia to regroup and reinforce its military capabilities.
The failure of the March 2022 negotiations has implications for the prospects of new peace talks, with Lavrov expressing reluctance to engage in fresh discussions given the previous deal’s rejection by the West. The controversy surrounding the alleged peace deal continues to shape perceptions of the ongoing conflict and raises questions about the geopolitical dynamics influencing the region.