Succes schreef op 13 maart 2022 15:27:
50m ago 13:31 The Guardian
Delegates from both sides of peace talks say there has been progress
Delegates from both sides of peace talks have sounded positive, ahead of more negotiations in the next few days.
Ukrainian negotiator and presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said talks had become more constructive.
“We will not concede in principle on any positions. Russia now understands this. Russia is already beginning to talk constructively. I think that we will achieve some results literally in a matter of days,” he said in a video posted online.
Leonid Slutsky, a Russian delegate said there had been significant progress and they hoped to soon arrive at a “joint position”, Reuters reports.
The state-owned RIA news agency said he was comparing the state of talks now with those when they first started, saying there had been “substantial progress”.
“According to my personal expectations, this progress may grow in the coming days into a joint position of both delegations, into documents for signing,” Slutsky said. It was not clear what the scope of any such documents might be.
Three rounds of talks between the two sides in Belarus, most recently last Monday, had focused mainly on humanitarian issues and led to the limited opening of some corridors for civilians to escape fighting.
This comes a day after the French and German presidents, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz said Vladimir Putin did not show a willingness to end the war during a call on Saturday.