Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said that peace talks were Russia were finally beginning to sound “realistic,” but added that more time was required to ensure that Kyiv’s interests are protected in the negotiations.
Speaking at his nightly online video address, the 44-year-old actor-turned-politician said, “The meetings continue, and, I am informed, the positions during the negotiations already sound more realistic.”
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“But time is still needed for the decisions to be in the interests of Ukraine,” he added.
Zelensky’s comments about ongoing ceasefire negotiations with Russia came a day after Kyiv and Moscow resumed talks on Tuesday after a brief respite due to technical issues.
The two sides will engage in another round of negotiations on Wednesday, but it is unclear whether any agreement will be reached.
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Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, Russian forces have laid siege to and heavily bombarded several major cities in Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv. At the time of writing this article on Wednesday, the capital city of Kyiv and the southern port city of Mariupol was under heavy artillery fire as Russian forces intensified their assault.
Russian bombardment of Ukrainian cities have already led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians, and Kyiv has repeatedly accused Russian forces of committing war crimes.
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However, despite its superior military might, Moscow has not been able to capture any of Ukraine’s ten biggest cities.
Russian forces, however, have captured nuclear facilities in the eastern European country, including the defunct Chernobyl plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s biggest nuclear facility.