(Kyiv) Ukraine and Russia agreed Thursday, at the end of a second round of talks, to organize “humanitarian corridors” for the evacuation of civilians from combat zones, the two parties announced.
Posted at 1:02 p.m.
Updated at 1:27 p.m.
“The second round of negotiations is over. Unfortunately, there are not yet the expected results for Ukraine. There is only one solution to organize humanitarian corridors, ”wrote on Twitter Mikhaïlo Podoliak, adviser to the Ukrainian presidency and member of his country’s delegation.
“The only thing I can say is that we discussed the humanitarian aspects in detail because many cities are currently surrounded” by Russian forces, he added.
He worried about a “dramatic situation with food, medicine, evacuation possibilities”.
According to a statement later read by Mr. Podoliak, Moscow and Kyiv will set up “humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of the civilian population, as well as for the delivery of medicine and food to the areas where the fighting is most violent”.
This includes “the possibility of a temporary ceasefire during the evacuation period, in the sectors where it takes place”.
The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinski, meanwhile indicated that the talks had focused on humanitarian, military and “future political settlement of the conflict” issues.
According to him, there is a “mutual understanding” on “certain points”.
“The main issue that has been resolved today is that of the rescue of civilians who found themselves in the area of clashes,” he added, confirming the “humanitarian corridors” project.
“I think this is significant progress,” he said.
“In the very near future, the parties will take all necessary measures so that people can safely get out of these areas, there is nothing more important,” added another member of the Russian delegation, the deputy Leonid Slutsky.
The negotiations were held in the Belarusian region of Brest, in Belovejskaya Poucha, a locality near the border with Poland.
A first meeting ended on Monday without concrete progress.