Russian and Ukrainian delegates met for second round talks at Brest on the Polish-Belarusian border on Thursday. Ukraine looked for the opening of a humanitarian corridor, while Russia insisted that negotiating delays would result in the addition of “more items” to list Moscow’s demands.
After the second round of conversation between officials of the two countries, Kyiv and Moscow reportedly agreed to create a humanitarian corridor to evacuate civilians. Mikhail Podolyak, Advisor to the head of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelskyy, tweeted, “The second round of negotiations was over. Unfortunately, the results needed by Ukraine have not been achieved. There is a solution only for humanitarian corridor organizations …”
The talks came on the heel of telephone calls between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French colleague Emmanuel Macron. Macron believes Putin aims to seize the “Overall” of Ukraine, the French President’s aide told the AFP news agency, adding that Macron believes “the worst hasn’t come”.
“Sit with me to negotiate, just not 30 meters,” Zelskyy told Putin during a press conference, added, “I didn’t bite. What are you afraid of?”
The United Nations estimates that the Russian invasion to Ukraine has claimed the life of 227 civilians, while moving more than 1 million, including Ukraine. Russia, on the other hand, admitted that the military offensive had resulted in the death of nearly 500 troops.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that he had “undoubtedly” that the solution to the crisis in Ukraine would be found. Lavrov also said that the Kremlin was “ready to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine and throughout Europe”.
Fighting continues for eighth day
Back in Ukraine, Russian troops said they were now controlling Port City of Kherson. With a population of 280,000 residents, Kherson is the main city of Ukraine first to fall to Russian forces since the beginning of the invasion.
Besides Kherson, the battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces was also reported from Mariupol’s strategic port city in the Azov Sea.
The Mayor of Enerhodar, the main city on the Dnieper River which has the largest nuclear plant in Europe, said the large convoy of Russian military vehicles moved in the city. Likewise, the Mayor of Oktyrka reported that Russian forces had launched air strikes at the city hot power plants and train stations.
Governor Chernihiv in North Ukraine, meanwhile, claimed that Russian shootings claimed the life of at least 22 civilians on Thursday.