Thu 10 March 2022:
Russia’s and Ukraine’s foreign ministers will meet in Turkey for the first time since Moscow invaded its former Soviet neighbor last month.
Officials from Kyiv and Moscow have met on multiple occasions, but the meeting on Thursday in Antalya, Turkey, marks the first time Russia has dispatched a minister to resolve the problem.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, arrived in Antalya for talks “on Russia ceasing its hostilities and ending its war against Ukraine,” according to foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko.
Sergey Lavrov, his Russian counterpart, was also in Turkey.
So far, talks between Kyiv and Moscow have resulted in repeated ceasefires and humanitarian corridors for civilians to flee, but Russia has been accused of breaking such agreements.
Kuleba said in a Facebook video his expectations were “limited” as Russia continues its bombing campaign and siege of major Ukrainian cities. The success of the discussions would depend on “what instructions and directives Lavrov is under” from the Kremlin.
“I am not pinning any great hopes on them, but we will try and get the most out of [the talks],” said Kuleba.
Kuleba said his team would be “pressing for the maximum”.
“I will demand a ceasefire to liberate our territories, and of course to resolve the humanitarian issues, or rather catastrophes created by the Russian military,” he said.
“Owing to the actions of the Ukrainian armed forces, as well as the coordinated actions with partners regarding sanctions, I am going to these negotiations in a strong position.”
Moscow has stated that it is willing to talk to Ukraine, but that all of its conditions, including that Kyiv take a neutral stance and abandon its ambitions to join NATO, must be met in order for the assault to halt.
It is Lavrov’s first travel outside of Russia since the West isolated Russia with harsh sanctions that included President Vladimir Putin’s long-serving top diplomat.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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