Evgeny Yenin, Ukraine’s Deputy Interior Minister, says discussions between Russian and Ukrainian delegations will take place on Monday morning local time.
Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko called Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, according to the Ukrainian President’s office.
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“The politicians have agreed that the Ukrainian delegation will meet with the Russian delegation without preconditions on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, near the Pripyat River,” his office said.
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“Aleksander Lukashenko has taken responsibility for ensuring that all planes, helicopters, and missiles stationed on the Belarusian territory will remain on the ground during the Ukrainian delegation’s travel, meeting and return,” the official statement said.
Earlier in the day Russia had issued a deadline of 3pm local time for Ukraine to decide whether they wanted to meet and consider peaceful negotiations.
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From back when the proposal of a dialogue was proposed by Russia, Zelensky had agreed to meet Russian delegations, but not in Belarus, citing its alliance towards Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin.
Reacting to the news, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on CNN, “We have always indicated that we wanted to find a diplomatic solution, and Russia chose confrontation. This diplomatic effort is one more effort to bring the Russians to the negotiating table.”
She however did not give a direct answer when asked if US thought this move was one of good-faith by the Russians. “I can’t get into the Russian’s — into Putin’s head or into Russian reasoning, so it remains to be seen, but let’s — see what comes of it,” she said.