A third round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine held near the Belarus border Monday night provided no major breakthroughs, according to media reports.
Mykhailo Polodnyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said there had been some "small positive developments in improving the logistics of humanitarian corridors," and that consultations will continue on ways to negotiate an end to hostilities.
Moscow announced a temporary cease-fire and a plan to evacuate Ukrainians from several cities, mainly to Russia and Belarus, a proposal Kyiv rejected as "immoral" as they say Ukrainians should be able to evacuate to other parts of the country.
Vladimir Medinsky, Russia's top negotiator, said he expects humanitarian corridors to start functioning Tuesday.
"Our expectations from the talks have failed, but we hope that we would be able to make a more significant step forward next time," Medinsky said. "The talks will continue."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday said Russia was ready to halt military operations "in a moment" if Kyiv meets a list of conditions, including ceasing military action, changing its constitution to enshrine neutrality, acknowledge Crimea as a Russian territory and recognize the separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent states.
It was the most explicit Russian statement so far of the terms it wants to impose on Ukraine to halt what it calls its "special military operation," now in its 12th day.
Peskov told Reuters in a telephone interview that Ukraine was aware of the conditions. "And they were told that all this can be stopped in a moment."
He also insisted Russia was not seeking to make any further territorial claims on Ukraine and said it was "not true" that it was demanding Kyiv be handed over.
"We really are finishing the demilitarization of Ukraine. We will finish it. But the main thing is that Ukraine ceases its military action. They should stop their military action, and then no one will shoot," he said.
More than 1.7 million people have fled the conflict.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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