Ukraine and Russia opened the door this Friday for the third round of negotiations to take place this weekend, after the first two meetings in which there was little progress to declare a ceasefire.
On the Russian side, President Vladimir Putin assured that the dialogue would resume this weekend, according to information provided by the German government of the one-hour conversation that the Kremlin leader and Foreign Minister Olaf Scholz had this Friday.
Ukraine also hopes that the third round will continue this weekend, said one of the Ukrainian envoys, Mikhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the presidential administration.
“The third stage could take place tomorrow (Saturday) or the day after tomorrow, we are in permanent contact,” Podolyak told a news conference in Leopolis, western Ukraine.
The Ukrainian envoy noted that they are only waiting for the Kremlin’s response to return to the negotiating table.
The first two meetings between Russia and Ukraine, held in Belarus, failed to stop the fighting, but did open humanitarian corridors for the civilian population.
It is even feared that the war could intensify, according to a conversation held yesterday between Putin and the French president, Emmanuel Macron.
According to sources from the presidential Elysee Palace, the Russian President told his French counterpart that the offensive in Ukraine was going “as planned” and that it was going to intensify, unless Kiev accepts its conditions, including demilitarization.
