Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators scheduled to resume in Istanbul Tuesday would focus on easing the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, with a ceasefire being the “maximum” goal of the talks. Follow our live blog for the latest developments. All times indicated are Paris time [GMT+1].
8:08 am: Russian forces still pose threat to Kyiv despite Ukraine’s counterattacks, UK says
Russia poses a significant threat to Kyiv through its forces’ strike capability even though Ukrainian forces continue localised counterattacks to the northwest of the city, British military intelligence said on Tuesday.
Russian forces have maintained their offensive on Mariupol with continuous heavy shelling of the city, the UK’s ministry of defence said in a statement. “However the centre of the city remains under Ukrainian control.”
Elsewhere, Russian forces are maintaining blocking positions while attempting to reorganise and reset their forces, it added.
7:21 am: Ukrainian and Russian delegations prepare for talks in Istanbul
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said peace talks in Istanbul would focus on easing the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, with securing a ceasefire the top objective.
“The minimum programme will be humanitarian questions, and the maximum programme is reaching an agreement on a ceasefire,” Kuleba said Tuesday.
Ahead of the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country is prepared to declare its neutrality, as Moscow has demanded, and is open to compromise on the fate of the Donbas, the contested region in the country’s east.
