Talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations, first since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion on February 24, have started at the Belarussian border as the threat of nuclear war looms large, according to Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak.
According to Ukraine's President's office, Kyiv's main goal is a ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops. The Ukrainian delegation is represented by Chairman of the Servant of the People faction David Arakhamia, Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov, Advisor of the Head of the President's Office Mikhail Podolyak.
The Russian delegation is represented by Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov, MP Leonid Slutsky, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin. The delegation will be headed by Vladimir Medinskiy.
Russia had earlier sent a delegation to Belarus and said it was ready to start peace negotiations with Ukraine in Gomel city. But Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky had rejected Moscow's offer. He said that Kyiv will not engage in peace negotiations in a country from where missiles were being launched on his nation.
Zelensky later agreed to hold talks with Russia at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border near the Pripyat River after Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko called him.
Earlier on Sunday, Belarus, which shares borders with both Russia and Ukraine, had passed a constitutional referendum revoking its non-nuclear status and paving the way for Russian nuclear weapons to be placed in the country.
Russia declared war on Ukraine on February 24 days after President Vladimir Putin recognised the independence of Ukraine's separatist regions -- Donetsk and Luhansk.
The Russian troops are targeting military bases and other places across Ukraine as they make their way to Ukraine's capital Kyiv.
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