Ukrainian-Russian Peace Talks Despite Fighting (Worthy News Radio) (Update)

By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

ISTANBUL/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Another round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia has begun in Istanbul, Turkey, despite new reports of Russian attacks hitting Ukraine after Kyiv hit Russia with drones.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that he is glad that a second round of direct talks between Ukraine and Russia started amid ongoing fighting. Fidan noted that the talks, which are being hosted in Istanbul, will discuss the ceasefire requirements of both sides.

He added that the United States was contributing to the peace process and stressed he was sure the talks would bring concrete results to end a war that is believed to have killed and injured more than a million people.

He recently told the NATO military alliance chief Mark Rutte that Turkey hasn’t given up hope that the war will end. “Of course our efforts to bring the war in Ukraine to a just and durable end will be an important part of our discussions,” he stressed.

“You all know that Turkey has always stressed the need for a diplomatic track to this end. Now, after three years of immense suffering, there is finally a window of opportunity. The talks in Istanbul hopefully may open a new chapter,” the minister added.

However, Monday’s peace talks, the second meeting in two weeks, began just hours after more reports of Russian attacks hitting Ukraine.

Officials said two ballistic missiles struck a residential neighborhood in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv early Monday.

The city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said one missile landed near an apartment building while the second struck a road close to a school.

HITTING AIRBASES

There were no immediate reports of casualties, but the reported strikes came after Ukraine reportedly hit air bases in five different regions of Russia stretching over five time zones in an unprecedented drone attack. Russia’s Defence Ministry said there were no casualties.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine used 117 drones in the massive operation on Russian military bases.

He said planning for the operation had begun a year and a half ago.

Officials said at least 13 planes were destroyed in the attack on Russian airbases.

Ukraine’s domestic intelligence service, the SBU, said the attack, codenamed “Operation Spider’s Web,” had been planned for over a year and a half.

It claimed that the strikes caused damage estimated at $7 billion. It was seen as a major setback for Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Yet despite the ongoing clashes, peace talks began, as the world watched when and if the more than three-year-long war will end.

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