A Ukrainian negotiator said on Saturday Russia had indicated that draft peace treaty documents were at an advanced enough stage to allow for direct consultations between the two nations’ leaders, Interfax Ukraine reported.
The agency quoted David Arakhamia as telling Ukrainian television that Russia accepted Ukraine’s overall position with the exception of its stance on Crimea.
Interfax Ukraine also cited Arakhamia as saying that the venue for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy would most likely be Turkey.
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It said Arakhamia told Ukrainian television that a time and a place for a meeting were not known.
Both sides have described the negotiations in recent days as difficult. The talks are a combination of face-to-face sessions in Turkey and virtual meetings.
Arakhamia said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Putin and Zelenskyy on Friday “and seemed to confirm from his side that they are ready to arrange a meeting in the near future.”
He added: “Neither the date or place are known but we think it would most likely be in Istanbul or Ankara.”
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