However, both sides also stressed that the negotiations were difficult, and disagreements remained over what neutrality or security guarantees would look like for Ukraine.
Lavrov, in an interview with the Russian television channel RBC, said that he bases his assessment on the opinion of Russian negotiators. “They say that the negotiations are not easy for obvious reasons, but nevertheless there is some hope of reaching a compromise,” Lavrov said.
The story continues under the ad
Mykhailo Podolyak, Zelensky’s adviser and Ukraine’s lead peace negotiator with Russia, expressed optimism for an early ceasefire and indicated Ukraine’s readiness for a peace deal in a PBS interview broadcast on Tuesday.
Podolyak said that at the beginning Russia spoke of ultimatums, and that since then its position has “significantly softened”. According to him, initially Russia planned to lead its troops through Ukraine and seize as much territory as possible in the style of a blitzkrieg. But, according to Podolyak, this did not happen, and Russian troops were stuck in their current positions, “with no chance of moving further into Ukrainian territory.”
“Therefore, we are very confident that we will have a ceasefire in the coming days,” he said.
The story continues under the ad
The negotiators are preparing for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin, where they will sign documents. “Obviously, this will happen soon, because this is the only way to end this war,” Podolyak said.
Meanwhile, in his video message, Zelenskiy said: “Meetings are ongoing and I have been informed that the positions during the negotiations already sound more realistic… But it still takes time for decisions to be in Ukraine’s interests.”
“Everyone should work … for negotiations with the Russian Federation,” he said, adding that the eyes of the whole world are riveted on Ukraine. “It’s difficult, but important, because any war ends with an agreement.”
The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said that Ukraine, during the talks, proposed a model similar to that of Austria or Sweden, acting as a “neutral demilitarized state, but a government with its own army and navy.”
The story continues under the ad
“The preservation and development of the neutral status of Ukraine, the demilitarization of Ukraine – a whole range of issues related to the size of the Ukrainian army is being discussed,” Medinsky said, according to the Russian state news service RIA Novosti.
Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to Zelensky, said that although there were “words about the Swedish or Austrian model of neutrality… Ukraine is now in a state of direct war with the Russian Federation. Therefore, the model can only be Ukrainian and only about legally verified security guarantees.”
Ukraine needs security guarantees that would mean that the signatories of any deal would have to “actively participate on the side of Ukraine” in any future conflict and provide support and weapons, he said. He also launched a call for a no-fly zone, which is still rejected by NATO.
“Ukraine has never been a militaristic state that attacked or planned to attack its neighbors,” he added. “That’s why today Ukraine wants to have a powerful pool of allies with well-defined security guarantees.”
A day earlier, the tone from Moscow was less optimistic: President Vladimir Putin said the talks had stalled and were far from a breakthrough. On Tuesday, he told the leader of the European Council that Kyiv “does not show a serious commitment to finding mutually acceptable solutions. ”
The story continues under the ad
A major point of contention for Russia has been Ukraine’s longstanding desire to join the NATO military alliance, which is one of the arguments used by Moscow to justify its invasion.
Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Ukraine has made joining NATO a priority. However, on Tuesday Zelensky offered a softer stance on NATO membership.
“It is clear that Ukraine is not a member of NATO. We understand this,” Zelensky said during an address to the leaders of 10 countries in the North Atlantic, led by Britain, a group known as the Joint Expeditionary Force. “For years we have heard about the seemingly open door, but have also heard that we will not enter there, and this is true and must be acknowledged.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said On Wednesday, journalists reported that he spoke with Zelensky, who understood the “reality of the position” regarding joining the alliance. Johnson said the UK ruled out any prospect of Ukraine joining the 30-member group “in the near future”.
The story continues under the ad
“Everyone has always said – and we made it clear to Putin – there is no way Ukraine is going to join NATO anytime soon,” Johnson said. “But the decision about the future of Ukraine should be up to the Ukrainian people.”
Meanwhile, NATO defense ministers met in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss ways to help Ukraine and deter Russian aggression without becoming involved in a wider conflict. Over the past two months, the alliance has deployed thousands of additional troops to its eastern flank and deployed the NATO Response Force for the first time. Its members also sent tons of ammunition and weapons to Ukraine.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Tuesday the United States is working to limit death and destruction until peace is achieved. The UN Human Rights Office said on Tuesday that 691 civilian deaths have been recorded since the start of the Russian invasion, of which at least 48 are children. It stipulates that the figures are incomplete and the actual losses are likely to be much higher.
Lavrov, in a long interview on Wednesday, also took aim at the United States and said the conflict in Ukraine “has less to do with Ukraine than with the legal world order.”
The story continues under the ad
“The United States has turned all of Europe upside down,” Lavrov said. “This is an epochal moment in modern history. It reflects the struggle for what the world order will look like.”
The White House is set to announce Wednesday an additional $800 million in security assistance, a senior administration official said, as part of a public spending bill that President Biden signed into law to give Ukraine $13.6 billion in new aid. Previous U.S. aid included supply of anti-aircraft and anti-tank systems.
Hannah Knowles and Mayte Fernandez Simon contributed to this report.