Kiev refuses to join military alliances and return Crimea and Donbas militarily

The first day of a new round of two-day peace talks between Russia and Ukraine brokered by Turkiye ended in Istanbul on Tuesday.

A Russian negotiator hails "meaningful" progress with Ukrainian representatives at peace talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul, over a month after Russia invaded its neighbour.

Russia says that, due to the progress made in the talks, it will "radically" reduce its military activity in northern Ukraine, including near the capital Kyiv.

Ukraine calls for an international agreement under which other countries would guarantee its security. Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia told the guarantee should resemble NATO's Article 5 which commits alliance members to defend each other.

Ukraine wants to see eight countries, including Turkiye, as guarantors in a deal with Russia, said David Arakhamia from the Ukrainian delegation after peace talks in Istanbul on Tuesday.

Crimea will be subject to a separate part of negotiations with Russia, said Mykhailo Podolyak, a top Ukrainian negotiator and adviser to President Volodmyr Zelenskyy.

Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, told that the talks in Istanbul were "constructive."

The presidents of the two countries may meet when a draft of a peace treaty is approved, he added. /BGNES