Intensive consultations between Russia, Ukraine in Istanbul

Istanbul: During the talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul, the parties discussed an agreement on international security guarantees for Ukraine, a ceasefire and the resolution of humanitarian issues in Ukraine.

Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak at an interim briefing in Turkey said: "Intensive consultations are underway on several important issues. The key one is the agreement on international security guarantees for Ukraine. Only with this agreement can we end the war as Ukraine needs it. An equally important issue is the ceasefire so that we can address the humanitarian problems that have accumulated", Ukrayinska Pravda reported.

Podoliak added that "today we have another problem, it is getting bigger and bigger -- the problem of escalating war, escalating hatred, escalating violations of rules of warfare not only on the battlefield".

According to him, calls are sometimes being made on air to destroy certain nations; the Geneva Convention on prisoners of war is also being violated.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine will ensure that the rights of Russian prisoners of war are not violated and expect the same from the Russian side.

Podoliak stressed that both sides must abide by the conventions and stop violating them.

The Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba stated that the Ukrainian delegation at the talks with Russia in Turkey does not plan to discuss the referendum.

Sources in The Financial Times reported that Russia had allegedly withdrawn its demands on Ukraine regarding "de-Nazification", "demilitarization" and the status of the Russian language in Ukraine.