Russia, Ukraine to resume peace talks in Turkey as fighting rages on

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are set to resume tension-easing negotiations in Istanbul on Monday, Reuters cited a senior Turkish official as saying, as the conflict between the neighbors rages on.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in a telephone call on Sunday for Istanbul to host a fresh round of talks.

Erdogan said his country would continue efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine, and stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire and the improvement of the humanitarian situation in the region, according to a statement by his office.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the move, saying they must bring peace “without delay”, and signaling his government’s preparedness to compromise on key issues.

In a speech late on Sunday, Zelensky said he wanted peace as soon as possible but pointed to his negotiating red lines.

“Our priorities in the negotiations are known. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are beyond doubt. Effective security guarantees for our state are mandatory,” he asserted.

“Our goal is obvious,” he added, “peace and the restoration of the normal life of our native state as soon as possible.”

In remarks made to Russian journalists earlier in the day, Zelenskyy had adopted a milder tone, saying Kiev was willing to assume neutral status and compromise over the status of the eastern Donbas region as part of a potential peace deal.

The previous rounds of talks have failed to produce a breakthrough, as both the warring sides have refused to compromise on their respective redlines.

Zelensky’s office on Monday said Turkey was among countries that could offer Kiev security guarantees as part of any deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine. 

"Turkey is among those countries that could become guarantors of our security in the future," Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's office, said ahead of the peace talks.

Turkey urges talks with Russia on peace, says that world cannot ‘burn bridges’ with Moscow

Turkey urges further peace talks with Russia, stressing that the world cannot ‘burn bridges’ with Moscow altogether.

The Kremlin on Monday confirmed that the face-to-face talks would take place in Turkey, but said the talks are scheduled on Tuesday as the negotiators would only be arriving in Turkey on Monday.

David Arakhamia, a Ukrainian lawmaker, and Zelensky ally, also confirmed the peace talks and said they will last for three days in a bid to bring peace between the two countries.

It came as Ukraine said it had no plans to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from besieged cities.

Meanwhile, according to Ukraine’s deputy defense minister Hanna Malyar, Russia is regrouping its forces in Ukraine to pave way for its military advancements.

Malyar said Russian forces were trying to reinforce positions they already hold, seeking to break through the defenses of Kiev.

“As of today, the enemy is regrouping its forces, but they cannot advance anywhere in Ukraine,” she told a media briefing, without elaborating.

Russia’s military operation in Ukraine has entered its second month, with the Russian government declaring that it has secured the main objectives it sought in the first stage of the operation.

Western countries, including the US, have decried Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine as unprovoked, but Moscow says the “special operation” aims to “demilitarize” and “denazify” the country after years of fighting between the Kiev government and separatists in the breakaway Donbas region.

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