By Peace talks ‘unlikely’ as Russian troops ‘more than 50 km’ from Kyiv
The Kremlin has said that peace talks between Russia and Ukraine look uncertain due to apparent differences over a venue.
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin has agreed to send a delegation for talks with Ukrainian officials in Minsk, Belarus, where President Alexander Lukashenko runs a pro-Russian government.
That agreement came in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s offer earlier in the day to discuss non-aligned status for Ukraine.
Mr Peskov told reporters that Minsk was discussed as a possible venue but that Ukrainian officials said they were unwilling to travel to the Belarusian capital and would prefer to meet in Nato member Poland. They then halted further communication accpording to Mr Peskov.
Following this uncertainty the UK’s Ministry of Defence shared a security update earlier that the bulk of Russian forces advancing on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv are more than 50km from the centre of the city.
Sharing its latest “Defence Intelligence” on Twitter at roughly 3:30 pm, it added that Russian armoured vehicles have opened up a new advance route towards the capital, having been unsuccessful in capturing Chernihiv, a city in the north of Ukraine.
It also said officials will continue to monitor reports of “sporadic clashes” between Russian troops and Ukrainians in the northern suburbs of the capital.
Read below for an update from Defence Intelligence: pic.twitter.com/blwf1hv0bq
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) February 25, 2022
Crowds of civilians are now fleeing the country’s capital as Russian forces draw nearer, with reports of gunshots at the train station now coming in.
Updates to follow.
(Image: BBC)
