Photo taken on March 3, 2022 shows a view of the second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the Belovezhskaya Pushcha on the Belarus-Poland border. (PHOTO / BELTA NEWS AGENCY VIA XINHUA)
KIEV – Ukraine and Russia will hold the next round of peace talks on Monday, David Arakhamia, member of the Ukrainian delegation, said Saturday.
"The third round of talks will take place on Monday," Arakhamia wrote on Facebook.
Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said Friday the third round of talks between Ukraine and Russia will take place on Saturday or Sunday, according to local media.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped that Kiev would take a "reasonable and constructive stance" during a third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Friday that Russia is open to dialogue with Ukraine. He hoped that Kiev would take a "reasonable and constructive stance" during a third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukraine and Russia held the previous two rounds of talks on Feb 28 and March 3.
Also on Saturday, Putin said Russia has "practically" completed the mission of destroying Ukraine's main military infrastructure, including weapon warehouses, ammunition depots, aviation and air defense systems.
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Russian forces will fulfill all their assigned tasks and the operation in Ukraine is proceeding in accordance with the plan and schedule, Putin said at a meeting with women flight crews of Russian airlines.
Commenting on a new wave of Western sanctions, Putin said they are akin to a "declaration of war."
He stressed that there is no need to introduce a state of emergency in Russia.
It was "a difficult decision" to launch a special military operation in Ukraine, but there are "absolutely real threats" to Russia, the president said.
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If Ukraine joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the whole military bloc is obliged to support Kiev militarily and Ukraine may get into Crimea, leading to direct clashes between Russia and NATO, Putin warned.
As Russia demands demilitarization of Ukraine, Putin said there are many different options on the negotiating table with Kiev.
