Russian troops temporarily withdraw, stop negotiations with Ukraine

Commander of Ukrainian forces defending Kiev. Photo: AP

This means more artillery and missile attacks on Ukrainian targets, according to an updated Defense Department intelligence report. Russia’s focus on Donestk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine is an admission that the country’s forces are in trouble.

Britain accused Russia of increasingly relying on mercenaries to fight in Ukraine and this is a sign that the war has taken a heavy toll on Moscow’s forces.

According to Western officials, 1,000 fighters from the private Wagner Group have been sent to eastern Ukraine. Moscow is also recruiting Syrians to fight in Ukraine.

Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to the President of Ukraine, also said that Russia is moving troops from the north to the east of Ukraine to surround the Ukrainian army in this area. However, Russia still keeps some forces near the capital Kiev. Mr. Arestovych added that Ukraine has improved its negotiating position, promoting its neutrality but still receiving security guarantees from outside.

Ukrainian soldiers. Photo: AP

Also today, Turkey said that the Ukrainian and Russian delegations had decided to return to the country for consultations after making progress in the negotiations.

Yesterday’s talks chaired by Turkey outlined what could become the framework to end war. Negotiations are expected to continue today, but Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the two sides are returning home to submit proposals.

At a press conference in the Turkish capital, Istanbul, the Ukrainian delegation outlined a framework under which the country would declare itself a neutral country and receive security guarantees from a range of other states.

In the meantime, Moscow will reduce military activities in the direction of Kiev and Chernihiv to strengthen mutual trust and create conditions for further negotiations, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said. .

Representatives of Russia and Ukraine in Turkey. Photo: AP

The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said that negotiators would forward the Ukrainian proposal to Russian President Vladimir Putin and then Moscow would respond. However, Mr. Medinsky did not say when.

The Itar-tass news agency reported that the Russian delegation returned home late yesterday.

In another development, the Finnish national railway operator VR Group has announced that it will resume service on the Helsinki and Saint Petersburg lines, less than a week after stopping service. VR Group said that they stopped the service because of the sanctions, but now know the information, so they do not apply.

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said today that the country has largely reduced its dependence on Russian oil and will take steps to stop importing oil from Russia by the end of 2022. Yesterday, Poland banned imports. Russian coal. The Polish leader said that Russia took money for oil exports and it was difficult to power the war machine.

Hoai Linh