Ukraine-Russia Talks Inconclusive; Know The Key Demands, What’s Next

Kyiv: The first round of talks between Ukraine and Russia, which lasted nearly five hours on Monday, remained inconclusive.

Ukraine’s main demands

* Immediate ceasefire

* Immediate withdrawal of Russian troops

Russia’s main demands

* Demilitarisation of Ukraine

* Guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO

* Western recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea

The talks took place near the Belarus-Ukraine border near the Chernobyl exclusion zone. A second round of talks was agreed on the Polish-Belarusian border.

Vladimir Medinsky, who headed the Russian delegation, said the two sides “found certain points on which common positions could be foreseen”.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the talks focused on a possible ceasefire.