Ukraine rejects Russia's offer of talks in Belarus

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is ready for peace talks with Russia but not in Belarus.

New Delhi: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday (February 27) rejected Russia’s offer for peace talks in Belarus. 

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy named Warsaw, Bratislava, Istanbul, Budapest or Baku as places to hold talks with Russia, adding that he is ready for a discussion at other places except for Belarus, AP reported. 

"At the moment, we`re saying no to Minsk. Other cities can be a place to meet. Of course, we want peace, we want to meet, we want for the war to end. Warsaw, Bratislava, Budapest, Istanbul, Baku, we have suggested all that to Russia. And any other city will do... in a country, from whose territory the rockets are not flying. This is the only way that the talks can be honest and can really put an end to the war," Zelenskyy said in a video. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed earlier that a Russian delegation including military officials and diplomats had arrived in the Belarusian city of Homel for talks with Ukrainian officials. “The Russian delegation is ready for talks, and we are now waiting for the Ukrainians,” Peskov said.

On Saturday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had said that Minsk was ready to provide a venue for initiating peace talks.