The start of negotiations was also confirmed by the Ukrainian side. The UNIAN agency quoted the assistant to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine Mikhail Podolyak as saying that the key issues for Ukraine on the agenda the immediate ceasefire and opening of humanitarian corridors.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier that Russia’s demands on Ukraine are minimal. The department did not provide an exact list of these requirements.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday. As a result of the conversation, the French side stated that Putin is confident in achieving the goals of the Russian operation, which he called the neutral status of Ukraine and its “demilitarization.”