President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Security Council on Thursday decried Ukraine’s “slowness” in peace talks.
In a meeting, Putin and the council discussed the course of the peace talks, along with the sanctions imposed on Russia and the country’s economic situation, the Kremlin said in a statement.
The meeting participants regretted the “slowness” of the Ukrainian side in ongoing negotiations, the statement said.
Representatives from Moscow and Kyiv have held multiple rounds of talks since the war started on Feb. 24, while their foreign ministers also met earlier this month for talks hosted by Turkiye in its resort town of Antalya.
However, all the discussions have not yielded any concrete results.
“Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu presented a report on the ongoing special military operation of the Russian Armed Forces, as well as the ongoing military efforts to provide humanitarian assistance, ensure security and restore vital infrastructure in the liberated territories,” read the statement.
As the war enters its second month, at least 977 civilians have been killed so far in Ukraine and 1,594 injured, the UN has said, while warning that that true toll is likely much higher.
Over 3.6 million Ukrainians have also fled to neighboring countries, while some 6.5 million more are internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.
Source: Anadolu Agency