Russia and Ukraine will hold talks in Belarus

The Kremlin announced that the Russian delegation has arrived in Belarus to start negotiations with the Ukrainian side. Photo: Sputnik

The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, announced that the Ukrainian side may arrive in Belarus on Sunday for negotiations between the two countries.

Medinsky noted that the meeting will be held in the Gomel region and the most suitable place will be chosen “where maximum security will be ensured for the Ukrainian side.”

For his part, Dmitry Peskov said that before the agreement was reached, the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, had a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Vladimir Zelensky. “After that, President Lukashenko addressed the Russian side, President Putin, with a request not to withdraw the Russian delegation due to signals from the Ukrainian side, expressing their readiness to come to negotiations in the Gomel region,” Peskov said. Adding that the Russian side is “fully ready for negotiations,” RIA Novosti reported.

Soon after, the Ukrainian President’s Office reported that Zelensky and Lukashenko agreed that the Ukrainian delegation would meet with the Russian side “without preconditions” near the Pripyat River.

“Alexander Lukashenko assumed responsibility that during the transfer, negotiations and return of the Ukrainian delegation, all aircraft, helicopters and missiles deployed on Belarusian territory will remain on the ground,” the statement said.

Russian delegation arrives in Belarus for negotiations

Earlier on Sunday, the Russian delegation arrived in Belarus for negotiations with the Ukrainian side, and Medinsky said that Russia will wait until 3:00 pm (Belarusian local time) for a response from Ukraine on the matter.

Zelensky announced that Kiev wants peace and is ready to negotiate with Russia, but he will not do this in Belarus. “Now we say: Minsk no. Other cities can be a meeting platform, of course, we want peace, we want to meet, we want an end to the war. Warsaw, Bratislava, Budapest, Istanbul, Baku: All this we proposed to the Russian side,” said the Ukrainian president. “Any other city serves us,” he said, but “not the country from whose territory the missiles are launched.”

(Information about RT)