Russia-Ukraine to hold face-to-face talks in Turkey this week, Kremlin confirms

Ukraine and Russia will hold the next round of peace talks in Turkey's Istanbul which is likely to get under from Tuesday (March 29), the Kremlin said as reported by Reuters adding that the talks would take place face-to-face instead of a virtual meeting.

The information was given by Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky through Facebook stating that the next round of discussions will be held in Turkey on Tuesday, March 29 and Wednesday, March 30.

Chief Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia further confirmed that the peace talks will be held on March 28-30.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday held a telephonic conversation with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and agreed for Istanbul to host the talks between Russia and Ukraine.

The two leaders "agreed that the next meeting of the negotiation teams of Russia and Ukraine will be held in Istanbul", the statement said.

According to media reports, during the conversation, Erdogan told Putin that a ceasefire and peace between Russia and Ukraine must be achieved as soon as possible and the humanitarian situation in the region should be improved.

Reportedly, Erdogan said that an agreement has been reached on four of the six negotiating points between Russia and Ukraine which include: Ukraine not pursuing North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) membership, use of the Russian language in Ukraine, disarmament and security guarantees.

Furthermore, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a statement on Monday that no major progress had been made in the talks themselves, or on the idea of a potential meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The development comes after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday accused the West of cowardice and not having enough courage to face Russia. "If only those who have been thinking for 31 days on how to hand over dozens of jets and tanks had 1% of their courage," he said in a video address earlier in the day.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has further insisted on the territorial integrity of his country and suggested that he was ready for a compromise. "Ukraine is willing to become neutral and compromise over the status of the eastern Donbas region as part of a peace deal," Zelenskyy said on Sunday, as reported by AFP.

Ukraine, meanwhile, is demanding an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops.

(with sources inputs)