Russia to significantly reduce military activity near Kyiv, Chernihiv

The meetings had a "serious debate," according to chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, and Ukrainian recommendations will be presented to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Russian military has stated that it will "significantly reduce" activities between Kyiv and Chernihiv in order to "build confidence" in discussions with Ukraine, reported AFP news agency.
According to Moscow's negotiators, following "serious" negotiations in Istanbul, Russia will "radically" restrict its military action in northern Ukraine, especially near the capital Kyiv.

The meetings had a "serious debate," according to chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, and Ukrainian recommendations will be presented to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to Medinsky, a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is feasible if a first peace accord is tabled by foreign ministries.

More than a month has passed since Putin sent tanks into Ukraine, seeking to weaken or destabilise the democratic government in Kiev. According to Zelenskyy, the war has already displaced over 10 million people and killed an estimated 20,000 individuals. As supply concerns eased, European stock markets rose and oil prices plummeted 5%, while the ruble rose 10% versus the dollar.

After many rounds of unsuccessful discussions, Russia and Ukraine started fresh talks earlier today, their first face-to-face meeting in two weeks, to resolve the month-long armed war. Neither the West nor any third nations were able to discern the content of negotiations over the past four rounds of talks. According to analysts, in this battle, Ukraine's President has acquired international popularity, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been cast as the villain, and the US and NATO have lost credibility.

Prior to the discussions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that his nation was willing to declare neutrality as part of a peace agreement with Russia.