Russia Says Ukraine Neutrality, Demilitarisation Key To Ending Conflict
NDTV
Ukraine War: Vladimir Putin stressed that a settlement is possible only if Russia's legitimate security interests are unconditionally taken into account, according to a Kremlin readout of the call with Macron.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday levelled conditions on ending Moscow's offensive against Ukraine as Russian forces shelled the country's second city in the face of sweeping Western sanctions.
The Russian attacks on Kharkiv killed at least 11 people, Ukrainian officials said. Kyiv says more than 350 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed since the invasion began on Thursday. The United Nations said more than half a million people have fled the country.
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators on Monday met for the first time since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion with Ukraine demanding a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops. The talks ended with both sides agreeing to continue a second-round of negotiations "soon".
In a lengthy telephone call, Putin told French President Emmanuel Macron that "the demilitarisation and denazification" of Ukraine and Western recognition of Russian sovereignty over the Crimean peninsula were prerequisites to ending fighting in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
