Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said Tuesday that Moscow would dramatically cut back its military offensive around Ukraine’s capital Kyiv as the two sides met for negotiations in Turkey.
“The decision has been taken to fundamentally cut back military activity in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv,†Fomin told reporters as the Russian delegation, including Moscow’s head negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, exited the latest round of peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul.
This would “increase mutual trust for future negotiations†in order “to agree and sign a peace deal with Ukraine,†he added.
The Ukrainian and Russian delegations met for their first round of face-to-face talks in three weeks Tuesday, where they were personally welcomed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan.
