Ukraine to demand ‘immediate’ ceasefire, troops withdrawal ahead of talks with Russia

Russian and Ukrainian officials will meet on Monday to resume negotiations as fighting continues to batter the east European nation. Ahead of the scheduled talks, Kyiv’s lead negotiator Mikhailo Podolyak said it would demand an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops from the country.

Negotiations. 4th round. On peace, ceasefire, immediate withdrawal of troops & security guarantees. Hard discussion. Although Russia realizes the nonsense of its aggressive actions, it still has a delusion that 19 days of violence against 🇺🇦 peaceful cities is the right strategy

“Peace, an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Russians troops — and only after this can we talk about regional relations and about political differences,” Podolyak said in a video statement posted to Twitter.

It will be a “hard discussion,” Podolyak said, adding, “Russia realises the nonsense of its aggressive actions, it still has a delusion that 19 days of violence against peaceful cities is the right strategy.”

According to reports by multiple news agencies, Ukrainian officials will raise issues related to getting food, water, medicine and other desperately needed supplies to cities and towns under fire with the Moscow delegation.

This is the fourth round of talks that is being held between the Russia and Ukraine delegation, coming a day after Russian missiles hit a military training base in western Ukraine, killing at least 35 people and injuring 134 others. It is the same base that previously served as a crucial hub for cooperation between Ukraine and NATO.

Seeing the proximity of the base to the border of Poland and other NATO members, concerns are being raised that the Western military alliance could be drawn into the conflict if the violence escalates further. The Ukraine war is the largest land conflict in Europe since World War II.

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has been challenging Russian forces fiercely since the first day of the war, reiterated his demand to establish a no-fly zone over his country, a plea that the West has said could escalate the war to a nuclear confrontation.