Ukraine, Russia draw up tentative peace plan to end war: Report

Ukraine and Russia reached a tentative peace plan to end the war that was in its third week, The Kyiv Independent reported.

It further said the deal included a ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops if Kyiv renounced its ambitions for a membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and accepted limits on its armed forces.

Both sides have projected optimism during the fresh round of talks that began on Monday, even as Russian forces rained fire on Kyiv and other major cities in a bid to crush the resistance that has frustrated Kremlin hopes for a lightning victory.

In another development, the International Court of Justice in the Hague ordered Russia to suspend its military operations in the east European nation. In an interim judgment, the United Nations tribunal ruled that Ukraine “has a plausible right not to be subjected to military operations by the Russian Federation for the purpose of preventing and punishing an alleged genocide.”

Hours ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the US Congress via video and pleaded with America for more weapons and tougher sanctions against Russia, saying, “We need you right now.”

With Moscow’s ground advance on the Ukrainian capital stalled, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said a neutral military status for Ukraine was being “seriously discussed” by the two sides, while Zelenskyy said Russia’s demands for ending the war were becoming “more realistic.”