MOSCOW, June 13. /TASS/. US Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg said the United States is seeking to achieve a peace agreement on Ukraine by stopping hostilities along the line of combat engagement.
"That’s what we want to get to - a comprehensive ceasefire. We call it a ‘ceasefire in place.’ A ceasefire in place means the ground you are physically on, that is the ground that is yours now," Kellogg said.
He went on to say that the recognition will only be de facto, not by the law - "by the simple fact that you are physically on the ground and your soldiers are there holding that ground."
"And then we want to get to the return of the children, the prisoners that are out there, a sustainable ceasefire, the ceasefire that is long-term, sustainable not only for Ukrainians, but for Europe as well," Kellogg said during an event, organized by the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
The second round of resumed direct talks between Russia and Ukraine was held in Istanbul on June 2. The meeting lasted just over an hour, and the delegations communicated in Russian. The parties exchanged documents with their views on various aspects of conflict resolution. Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, head of Moscow’s delegation, said that Russia had submitted a two-part memorandum to Ukraine.
The document implies international recognition of Crimea, Donbass, and Novorossiya as part of Russia. For a final settlement in Ukraine, it is crucial to ensure the full rights, freedoms, and interests of Russian speakers.This includes granting Russian the status of an official language and a legislative ban on the glorification and propaganda of Nazism and neo-Nazism. The memorandum implies Ukraine's neutrality, which means its pledge not to join military alliances and coalitions, a ban on any military activity by third countries on the territory of Ukraine, and on the deployment of foreign military forces, military bases, and military infrastructure there.