Russia and Ukraine plan talks as invasion continues

Ukraine and Russia are discussing a place and time for talks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s spokesman said late Friday, Al Jazeera reported.

“Ukraine was and remains ready to talk about a ceasefire and peace,” spokesman Sergii Nykyforov said on social media.

Earlier in the day, the Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin is ready to send a delegation to Belarus for talks with Ukraine, as Russian forces closed in on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on the second day of Moscow’s invasion.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday the Russian leader is “ready” to send a high-level delegation “for talks with a Ukrainian delegation” at Belarusian capital Minsk, which has previously hosted rounds of peace talks over the Ukraine crisis.

He said Mr Putin’s ally, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, told him that he would “create the conditions” for such a summit.

Russia has thousands of troops stationed in Belarus, and Ukraine said it was being attacked from several sides – including from Belarus.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had repeatedly called for talks with the Russian leader during a weeks-long diplomatic push in which Western countries tried to deter Mr Putin from launching an attack.

Mr Xelenskyy had made an initial proposal of talks in a speech addressed to Mr Putin late on Wednesday, shortly before the Russian invasion.

He said at the time: “Ukraine’s security is linked to the security of its neighbours. That is why today we have to talk about security in the whole of Europe. That is our main goal – peace in Ukraine and the security of our citizens. For this, we are ready to talk to everyone, including you. In different formats and in any place.”

As Russian troops closed in on Kyiv on Friday, Mr Zelenskyy issued a new statement urging talks.

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“I would like to address the President of the Russian Federation once again. Fighting is going on all over Ukraine. Let’s sit down at the negotiating table to stop the deaths of people,” he said.

Kyiv has floated the idea that Ukraine could promise to take a neutral status on NATO membership in order to end the violence.

However, Ned Price, U.S. State Department spokesman, said Russia’s offer of talks was an attempt to conduct diplomacy “at the barrel of a gun,” and that President Putin’s military must stop bombing Ukraine if it was serious about negotiations.