Zelenskyy aide: Kyiv, Moscow peace talks yield ‘small positive developments’
(Update 1: Adds details throughout)
Lviv, Ukraine, Mar 7 (EFE).- A third round of peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow ended with “small positive developments” regarding humanitarian corridors on Monday, a top aide to Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Mykhailo Podolyak made the announcement in a video shared to his official Twitter page following the conclusion of the latest round of talks in Belarus, near the Polish border.
Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky told the TASS news agency that Moscow’s terms had still not been met during the talks but that humanitarian corridors should begin to function on Tuesday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier outlined Russia conditions to ending the hostilities in Ukraine, which included demands that Kyiv commits to neutrality, recognizes Russian sovereignty in Crimea and officially accepts the independence of the breakaway, self-proclaimed republics in Donetsk and Luhansk.
Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of breaching ceasefire agreements and shelling humanitarian corridors implemented to allow civilians to flee besieged cities such as Mariupol in the southeast, and Irpin, just outside the capital Kyiv.
Kyiv has also criticized Russian plans to form corridors leading to Russian territory.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Russian shelling had prevented civilians from leaving Kyiv, Mariupol, Volnovakha, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, among others.
Podolyak said on Twitter earlier that Russia had destroyed or damaged 202 schools, 34 hospitals and more than 1,500 residential buildings.
Ukrainian officials on Monday said Russian shelling killed 13 people at a bread factory outside Kyiv and that another five civilians and four soldiers died when Russian missiles struck an airport in west Ukraine.
The United Nations on Monday said over 400 civilians had been killed in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began 12 days ago.EFE
ok/jt
