VLADIVOSTOK, September 5. /TASS/. Moscow and Kiev managed to agree on settling the conflict back in March 2022 in Istanbul, but the accords did not come into effect only because of orders given by the West, which aims to strategically defeat Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).
"We managed to reach an agreement, that’s the entire thing, and the signature of the head of the Ukrainian delegation who initialed this document testifies to this fact, which means that the Ukrainian side on the whole was satisfied with the achieved agreements. They did not come into effect only because they were ordered not to do that. The elites of the US, Europe, and several European countries desired to achieve Russia’s strategic defeat," he said.
The head of state noted that Russia has never rejected and does not reject holding negotiations but only on the basis of talks reached and documented back then in Istanbul.
On Istanbul talks
A meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul was held on March 29, 2022, with talks lasting for about three hours. The future agreement included Ukraine’s obligations on a neutral non-aligned status and the rejection of stationing foreign arms, including nuclear ones, on its territory.
Russian forces in the area of Kiev and Chernigov were withdrawn, however, following this, the negotiations on the settlement were completely frozen. As the Russian president noted, Kiev rejected all agreements. In October 2022, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky enacted the decision of the National Security and Defense Council banning all talks with Putin.
About forum
The Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) is underway on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok on September 3-6, 2024. The main theme of the EEF in 2024 is "Far East 2030. Combining strengths to create new potential."
The EEF is one of the largest international conferences in Russia. It has been held in the Primorsky Region’s Russky Island in Vladivostok since 2015. The Forum is the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who decreed that the event be held annually.
The forum's objectives and goals include promoting the accelerated growth of Russia’s Far East region; assessing its potential for exports; expanding international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region; showcasing the investment appeal of the region, its steadily progressing territories, and the Vladivostok free port.
The Roscongress Foundation has served as the Forum’s organizer since 2016.
TASS is the general information partner of the EEF.