Translated material
War
One thousand four hundred and fourteenth day. Summit in Paris: US and Ukraine discuss the two “most difficult” points of the peace agreement
Since February 24, 2022, Meduza has been broadcasting live about the Russian-Ukrainian war. We publish your letters every day because we are sure that we need to continue talking about the war. Share with us your thoughts about the war. What feelings are you experiencing? How does war affect your life and your attitude towards the world? If you have a story related to the war, tell it . The feedback form is at the end of this article. A review of the previous day can be read here .
World
Consultations between Ukraine and the United States and European allies on the conditions for ending the Russian-Ukrainian war continue in Paris.
President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky said that today negotiations will take place between the Ukrainian and American delegations, at which the two “most difficult” issues from the basic plan will be discussed - the future of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and the territorial affiliation of Donbass.
The first day of the summit, which began on January 6, ended with the signing of two documents. The first is a joint declaration by the “coalition of the determined” on post-war security guarantees for Ukraine. The second is a trilateral declaration by Ukraine, France and Great Britain.
The declaration of the “coalition of the determined” states that its signatories are ready to undertake legally binding guarantees of assistance to Ukraine, which will come into force after the ceasefire. Among these guarantees:
- creation of a military group to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces and contain Russia;
- participation in monitoring the US-led ceasefire;
- long-term provision of military assistance to Ukraine;
- direct support for Ukraine in the event of a new Russian attack.
To directly implement the plan, a coordination center will be created in Paris in a trilateral format: Ukraine - USA - “coalition of the determined.”
The United States, which is not formally part of the “coalition,” did not put its signature on the common document. A French official, speaking on condition of anonymity, only told reporters that the document “was discussed in detail” with the United States before publication. US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said that “security protocols are largely aligned” with Washington.
From the final version of the declaration, as European Pravda writes , references to US obligations to provide support to allied forces in the event of a second Russian attack also disappeared. The original version of the declaration stated that the multinational force would operate "with U.S. participation, including U.S. resources such as intelligence and logistics, with a U.S. commitment to support these forces in the event of an attack." The final version only says that the group will operate “with the assistance of the proposed US support.”
The joint declaration of France, Great Britain and Ukraine, also signed yesterday, paves the way for the creation of a legal framework for the presence of French and British troops on Ukrainian territory after the end of Russia's war with Ukraine. It was previously reported that these two countries intend to provide the bulk of the peacekeeping contingent.
At yesterday's negotiations, the contribution of the remaining countries from the “coalition of the determined” to maintaining peace in Ukraine was also discussed. As a result, Sweden announced that it would provide Kiev with fighters and resources for demining the Black Sea, Belgium - aviation and navy, Poland will take over the coordination of logistics. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Berlin was not committed to sending troops to Ukraine, but could take part in securing a potential ceasefire.
Representatives of the Russian Federation did not comment on the results of the negotiations in Paris. Emmanuel Macron, in turn, said that his office is preparing for a dialogue with Moscow - and the first contacts could take place “in the coming weeks.”
War in photographs. Dnieper
Tonight, Russian drones attacked the Dnieper. There are several fires in the city, including in multi-storey residential buildings. As a result of the attack, seven people were injured, including an eight-year-old girl.
Residents of Dnieper need help! It is also provided by the “Let’s” project. Its creators are “Support Service” , “Medusa” and “Rain”. The project raises money for peaceful Ukrainians affected by Russian aggression. Support the residents of Dnieper!
War through the eyes of Meduza readers
How we choose letters
Meduza's readers live in different countries and have different attitudes towards the war. We publish your letters to see this event through your eyes. Our editors try to present all points of view, even if they do not coincide with the editorial position. However, in accordance with the Meduza code, we do not publish messages that contain “hate speech,” justify the murder of civilians, or express direct support for an aggressive war.
Natalya (St. Petersburg) . In the fourth year of the war, I can’t say that any normalization has occurred in my attitude to what is happening. Just as I was horrified by the bombing of Ukrainian cities, this is still happening. There is more anger, I accompany every photo with obscenities. I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that all these men who identified targets, set coordinates for missiles, and launched them have now “worked out” their shift and are sleeping peacefully. I will never understand this.
For some reason, my heart aches when I see how people in photographs are poorly and simply dressed. How they collect the fragments of their humble life from the ruins. These grandma's Chinese robes. These sweatpants, cheap sneakers on feet sticking out of a black bag... this is the feeling that people lived and worked modestly. They had their own character flaws, but they also had great hopes. I don’t even feel right to write about the children of the victims. Why don't they let them live? By what right is this simple, poor existence, essentially so similar to our Russian one, taken away... for some reason this makes it even harder.
I read the news, look at photos, swear. I feel my own powerlessness. I pray to God for the speedy advent of peace. I am proud of the meek, I know that only they will inherit the earth. I feel the claws of guilt on my throat. I tell myself “it’s not your fault.” I believe in it and I don't believe it. I put my phone away. I live on.
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