Russia, Ukraine start first talks since Moscow assault
Categories: FOREIGN COUNTRIES
Talks began with the aim of an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces, the Ukrainian president's office said, after a Russian advance that has gone more slowly than some expected.The talks are being held on the border with strong Russian ally Belarus, where a referendum on Sunday approved a new constitution ditching the country's non-nuclear status at a time when the former Soviet republic has become a launch pad for Russian troops invading Ukraine. The Ukrainian delegation includes defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov as well as deputy foreign minister Mykola Tochytskyi.The talks come after a phone call between Zelensky and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.Russia’s Central Bank scrambled to shore up the tanking ruble Monday and the US and European countries upped weapons shipments to Ukraine.Neighboring Belarus could send troops to help Russia as soon as Monday, according to a senior American intelligence official with direct knowledge of current US intelligence assessments. The British Defence Ministry said Monday that the bulk of Putin’s forces are about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Kyiv, their advance having been slowed by Ukrainian forces.The increasingly erratic Putin made a clear link between ever-tightening sanctions and his decision Sunday to raise Russia’s nuclear posture.He also pointed at “aggressive statements” by NATO as a reason for his move, a reference to his long-running stance that the US-led alliance is an existential threat to Russia.