“At the moment, we cannot indicate any very promising results or progress of any kind. There is a lot of work to be done,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
But he considered it “positive” that the Ukrainian side “has finally begun to formulate its proposals in concrete terms and put them in writing.”
He said, “We are keen to avoid making public statements regarding the substance” of the issues discussed in the negotiations, because “we believe that the negotiations should take place” away from the limelight.
These statements contrast with the positive atmosphere expressed by Russian officials who participated in the talks that took place Tuesday in Istanbul.
At the conclusion of the talks, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Furmin announced, on Tuesday, that Moscow “will radically reduce its military activities in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv” in the north of the country.
He also said that “clear” proposals from Ukraine aimed at reaching an agreement “will be studied very soon and will be presented to President” Vladimir Putin.
Kyiv and Western capitals received this announcement with skepticism, and the governor of the Ukrainian Chernihiv region announced, on Wednesday, that the bombing of the city continued “all night” despite Russian promises.
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