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Delegates from Russia and Ukraine began their first talks on Monday. It is the first time after President Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine begins negotiation talks
On Monday, talks began aiming for an immediate ceasefire and the eventual withdrawal of the Russian forces. The talks are taking place on the border with Belarus, a strong Russian ally. Additionally, Sunday’s referendum approved a new constitution. It is ditching the non-nuclear status at a period when Russia is becoming a launchpad for Russian troops. As per Kyiv’s request, Roman Abramovich is also in Belarus, aiding the negotiations between the two nations. Abramovich is a Russian-Israeli billionaire and the owner of Chelsea FC. On Monday, talks began aiming for an immediate ceasefire. And the eventual withdrawal of the Russian forces as per the Ukrainian President’s office.
The Ukrainian derogatory party is made up of Mykola Tochytskyi and Oleksiy Reznikov. Tochytskyi is Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister and, Reznikov is the nation’s defense minister. The negotiation talks are coming as Ukraine’s forces are fierce and resisting the Russian with their defensive stance. Just a day ago, President Vladimir Putin ordered the country’s military chiefs to put their nuclear forces on ‘high alert’.
How will the talks pan out?
Ukrainian president is skeptical about the possibility of a breakthrough from the negotiations. “As always: I do not believe in the outcome of this meeting, but let them try,” he expressed. Initially, Kyiv was reluctant about sending a delegation to Belarus as the nation played a huge role in facilitating the invasion. The Central Bank of Russia is currently scrambling after the ruble tanked. The West is also ramping up the pressure by freezing the nation’s currency reserves and threatening to bring the Russian economy to its knees. With these sanctions, they are hoping to curb the aggression unleashed as Europe’s biggest conflict since the Second World War. However, they are also rising pushing Putin towards the edge. (Klonopin)
According to the British Defence Ministry, the bulk of the Kremlin’s forces are around 20 miles north of the Ukrainian capital. But, their advance has slowed down due to the resistance put up by the Ukrainian forces. Additionally, Germany and the US are sending Stinger missiles in addition to other supplies. However, there is also a possibility of Belarus sending troops for helping Russian forces according to senior American intelligence officials. They also believe that the invasion is slower and tougher than what the Kremlin envisioned but, it depends on how they adapt.