Ukrainian Delegation: "Second Talks with Russia End... Only Humanitarian Corridor Established"

The Russian delegation and the Ukrainian delegation are shaking hands as they begin the second peace talks on the 3rd (local time) at the meeting hall in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha forest in Belarus.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] The second round of talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations ended just over two hours after it began on the 3rd (local time). Both sides agreed to provide humanitarian corridors for civilians and to implement a temporary ceasefire during civilian evacuations.

According to The Guardian and other daily newspapers, Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the Ukrainian president, announced on Twitter that "the second round of talks has ended." He added, "Unfortunately, the results Ukraine needs have not yet been achieved," and said, "There is only a solution to organize humanitarian corridors."

Major foreign media reported that the delegations agreed to jointly provide humanitarian corridors to deliver medicine, food, and other supplies to key battlegrounds, and to implement a temporary ceasefire only in those areas during civilian evacuations. Additionally, both sides agreed to hold a third round of talks as soon as possible.

However, it appears that the "immediate ceasefire," which the Ukrainian delegation had proposed as a negotiation agenda, was not agreed upon. Just before the talks began, Podolyak had stated that the agenda included an immediate halt to attacks, a ceasefire, and humanitarian safe corridors for civilian evacuation.

Prior to this, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that regardless of negotiations for a ceasefire, Russian military operations to neutralize Ukrainian military facilities would continue.

However, contrary to Russia's claim that the targets of the military operations are military infrastructure, civilian casualties and damage to civilian facilities are mounting. Major foreign media reported that Mariupol, a strategic stronghold on the Sea of Azov in Ukraine, was surrounded by Russian forces on this day. Earlier, Russian forces had occupied the southern stronghold of Kherson.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.