The head of the Russian delegation at the peace talks with Ukraine said on Wednesday that some progress was made at this week's meeting in Turkey.
Speaking at a press briefing following the talks in Istanbul, Vladimir Medinsky said Ukraine for the first time formulated in written form its readiness to meet some conditions that Russia considers necessary for the building of normal relations.
"Yesterday, for the first time in all previous years, the Kyiv authorities declared their readiness to negotiate with Russia," he said.
"They gave us the principles of a possible future agreement fixed on paper, which provides for their refusal to join NATO, fixing Ukraine's bloc-free status, and renunciation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction."
According to Medinsky, Ukraine's proposals, among other things, contain a refusal to deploy foreign military bases and military contingents on its territory, as well as an obligation to conduct military exercises only with the consent of the states that will be guarantors of its security, including Russia.
"If all these obligations are fulfilled by Kyiv, then the threat of creating a NATO foothold in Ukrainian territory will be eliminated," he said.
On Tuesday, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations held face-to-face talks in Istanbul. Afterwards Medinsky said that Ukrainian negotiators presented their proposals on an agreement between the parties. He added that Moscow, after considering these initiatives, will put forth counter-proposals.
The Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, has met international outrage, with the EU, US, and the UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.
At least 1,151 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 1,842 injured, according to estimates by the UN, which cautioned that the true figure is likely far higher.
More than 4M Ukrainians have also fled to several European countries, with millions more displaced inside the country, according to the UN refugee agency.
