Russia's Crimea Envoy Hopes for 'New Ukrainian Government' to Meet Demands

The Kremlin's envoy to the annexed territory of Crimea says he hopes that a new government in Ukraine would recognize Moscow's demands to end Russia's war in the neighboring country.

As negotiations between representatives from Moscow and Kyiv continue despite escalating violence as Russian President Vladimir Putin's "special military operation" reaches its three-week mark this week, the Kremlin has issued key conditions to cease the attack, including a Ukrainian pledge for neutrality, recognition of the independence of the separatist Donetsk and Luhansk Republics and recognition of Russia's control over the Crimean Peninsula.

And while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signaled progress on Wednesday with comments that a potential deal with Russia "sounds more realistic," the view from Crimea was less hopeful that a compromise could be met with Zelensky still in power.

Responding to Newsweek's question about the latest developments on the talks, Georgiy Muradov, permanent representative of Crimea under the Russian president, said Wednesday that "we in Crimea do not believe the Ukrainian regime, just like Donetsk and Lugansk, they don't believe it either."

Muradov, speaking at a press conference held by the Russian Foreign Ministry to commemorate the annexation of the southern peninsula in an international disputed referendum held amid political unrest in Kyiv in 2014, cited the experience of the Minks Agreements first reached eight years ago between the Ukrainian government and separatists, a pact to which Muradov said Ukrainian officials have failed to live up.

Now, the Russian envoy said that Ukraine's messaging was an "attempt to mislead the international community, claiming that they have some progress in negotiations."

He also referenced outstanding disputes over attempts to establish humanitarian corridors during the ongoing conflict in which Kyiv and Moscow have accused one another of firing upon civilians.

"We discuss a lot of questions with the Ukrainian delegations in our talks, but the major issue regarding the humanitarian corridors, just to let the civilians leave these areas of conflict, leave this suffering," Muradov said, "they have been saying, of course, we will stand for opening these corridors, but they haven't done anything to maintain this, not just in the words, but in deeds."

And while Muradov stated that he was not a direct participant in the discussions taking place between Russian and Ukrainian officials, he stated that "there are some discussions regarding the recognition of the Crimea that demilitarization" as well as regarding "demilitarization, denazification, protection of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions on the basis of the agreements signed with them."

"I believe all these objectives will be attained," Muradov said, "and after that, probably, with a new Ukrainian government, we will talk about this question."

The remarks came just two days ahead of the eighth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea, which took place after Russian troops moved in to seize control of the peninsula while pro-Moscow insurgents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republic took up arms in response to the Euromaidan movement that brought to power a Ukrainian government seeking closer ties to the West.

The new Ukrainian government, led from 2014 to 2019 by Petro Poroshenko and since then by Zelensky, has sought to join the U.S.-led NATO alliance. NATO has yet to accept the bid but has backed Kyiv economically and militarily, first against the separatists in the eastern Donbas region and now against Russia directly as war broke out late last month.

But while Russian forces have faced fierce resistance as they push to encircle major Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Zelensky has appealed for further Western military support, most recently during a video address to U.S. Congress on Wednesday.

During his remarks, the Ukrainian leader reiterated his appeal for a no-fly zone, a move that the U.S. and NATO have so far dismissed due to the risk of provoking a direct war with Russia.

"If this is too much to ask for," Zelensky said, "we offer an alternative: you know what kind of defense systems we need, S-300 and other similar systems, you know how much it depends on the battlefield, the ability to use aircraft to protect our people, our freedom."

As had been anticipated by reports, U.S. President Joe Biden later announced an $800 million support package to Ukraine, bringing the total to $1 billion unveiled for Kyiv in just the past week alone.

And while the Biden administration has promised extensive aid to Zelensky, it has also led an international campaign of sanctions and restrictions against Moscow, targeting official and non-official individuals and entities.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke Wednesday with Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev in a bid "to reiterate the United States' firm and clear opposition to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine," according to the White House.

"Mr. Sullivan clearly laid out the United States' commitment to continue imposing costs on Russia, to support the defense of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to reinforce NATO's eastern flank, in continued full coordination with our Allies and partners," the White House readout said. "Mr. Sullivan told General Patrushev that if Russia is serious about diplomacy then Moscow should stop attacking Ukrainian cities and towns."

"Mr. Sullivan also warned General Patrushev about the consequences and implications of any possible Russian decision to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine," the readout added.

Patrushev, for his part, "called on the American side to exert influence on Kyiv in order to achieve speedy progress in resolving the crisis through diplomacy," according to Russia's Security Council.

"In addition, the Secretary of the Russian Security Council announced the need to stop Washington's support for neo-Nazis and terrorists in Ukraine and to facilitate the transfer of foreign mercenaries to the conflict zone," the Russian readout said, "as well as to refuse to continue supplying weapons to the Kiev regime. It was noted that these steps will only lead to further escalation."

The Russian readout also acknowledged U.S. warnings biological and chemical weapons but repeated allegations regarding "activities of U.S.-controlled military biological facilities on Ukrainian territory and the compliance by Washington with the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction, as well as the Concept on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons."

Meanwhile, negotiations between Russia and Ukraine appeared to continue even as a 15-point draft proposal obtained by the Financial Times was dismissed by Ukrainian presidential spokesperson Mykhailo Podolyak as "the requesting side of the Russian position" and "nothing more."

"The only thing we confirm at this stage is a ceasefire, withdrawal of Russian troops and security guarantees from a number of countries," he tweeted.

Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said that among the proposals being discussed by Ukraine was adhering to "the Austrian, Swedish versions of a neutral demilitarized state, which is a state that has an army and a navy," according to the state-run Tass Russian News Agency.

"Certainly, the key issue for us is the status of Crimea and Donbass and some humanitarian issues including denazification, the rights of Russian-speaking people and the status of the Russian language and so on," he added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also spoke Wednesday to the progress of talks between the two sides during an interview with Russian outlet RBC, whom Moscow's top diplomat told that "neutral status" for Ukraine was "now by and large seriously discussed in conjunction with security guarantees, of course."

"There are absolutely concrete phrases there that, in my opinion, are close to being agreed upon," Lavrov said.

But he too said there was still more at stake for Russia.

"Although it's clear that a declaration of neutrality and announcement of guarantees alone would, of course, will be a significant step forward," Lavrov said, "but the problem is much broader, and we talked about it, among other things, from the perspective of these much-vaunted values: the Russian language, culture, freedom of speech."

At the end of a fiery speech delivered late Wednesday recapping his contacts with the outside world and vowing to defend Ukraine, Zelensky said that his "priorities in negotiations are absolutely clear: the end of the war, security guarantees, sovereignty, restoration of territorial integrity, real guarantees for our country, real protection for our country."