Russian president Putin ready for negotiations with Kyiv
On the second day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Russian President Putin is ready to send a delegation to Minsk for talks with Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in his latest effort to challenge Russia's Vladimir Putin, he suggested that he was willing to speak with him about Ukraine's "neutrality," a demand from Putin. The Kremlin said it was aware of Zelenskiy's comments.
According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Putin spoke to Xi Jinping over the telephone and said, "Russia is ready for high-level talks with Ukraine."
Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry, and Presidential Administration officials are expected to be part of the delegation, Interfax reported.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close Russian ally, welcomed the chance to host the Russia-Ukraine talks, Peskov said. Belarus once hosted thousands of Russian troops on its territory following the conclusion of joint military exercises with Russia on February 20, 2014 and 2015.
25 Feb 2022
