“The first part of the meeting focused on framework documents, including security guarantees and approaches to the peace plan, as well as the sequence of further joint steps,” he said.
Diplomatic efforts to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II have gained pace in recent weeks, though both Moscow and Kyiv remain at odds over the key issue of territory in a post-war settlement.
Russia, which occupies around 20% of Ukraine, is pushing for full control of the country’s eastern Donbas region as part of a deal.
But Kyiv has warned ceding ground will embolden Moscow and said it will not sign a peace deal that fails to deter Russia from invading again.
Speaking at a press conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that if diplomacy to end the war failed, his country would continue to defend itself.
“If Russia blocks all of this – and as I said, it depends on our partners – if our partners do not compel Russia to stop the war, there will be another path: to defend ourselves,” he said.
Deadly strikes
The meeting capped a week marked by deadly strikes, as well as a Russian claim – denied by Ukraine – that Kyiv had launched drones at a residence of President Vladimir Putin in an unsuccessful attack.
Russia accused Kyiv of firing drones at a hotel and cafe in the Moscow-held part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, killing what it said were 28 people celebrating the New Year. Ukraine says it was a military gathering.
A woman and 3-year-old child died in a Russian missile strike on Ukraine’s second largest city of Kharkiv, according to the region’s governor.
And Russian bombardment of a Kyiv-held part of the southern Kherson region left two people dead, according to the region’s governor.
Russia made bigger advances on the battlefield last year than in any other year since it launched its invasion in 2022, according to an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War.
As the year kicked off, Zelenskyy announced sweeping changes to his top circle, naming a new chief of staff and defence minister yesterday while announcing plans to replace several regional leaders.
Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, describing it as a “special military operation” to prevent the expansion of Nato – a war aim that Kyiv has called a lie.
Moscow has since fired on Ukrainian towns and cities in daily drone and missile attacks while waging battles that have reduced entire urban areas to rubble.
- Agence France-Presse
