Ukraine, Russia start talks in Belarus

The BelTA news agency showed on its YouTube channel that the Ukrainian and Russian delegations had sat down at the negotiating table.

The Ukrainian delegation includes David Arakhamia, head of the Servant of the People faction, Oleksiy Reznikov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to the Head of the President's Office, Andriy Kostin, First Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group, MP Rustem Umerov, and Deputy Foreign Minister Mykola Tochytskyi.

The President's Office said the key issue of the talks would be an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of troops from Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on February 27 that he had a call with Alexander Lukashenko. After the conversation, it was agreed that the Ukrainian delegation will meet with the Russian delegation without any preconditions on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border near the Prypiat River.

Lukashenko claimed responsibility for ensuring that "all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on Belarusian territory remain on the ground at the time of the Ukrainian delegation's travel, talks and return."

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was declared.