Kyiv demands withdrawal of Russian forces as peace talks commence in Belarus

KYIV (SUDANS POST) – A group of Ukrainian negotiators have asked their Russian counterparts that they want the Russian forces outside their country, just minutes after peace negotiations between the two countries begun in Belarus.

Russia last Thursday launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine claiming that the government in Kyiv (or Kiev) is a threat to its national security.

On the fifth day after Russian forces entered Ukraine, delegations from the two countries have begun talks aimed at ending the war, BBC reports.

The Ukrainian president’s office says it wants an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces.

Meanwhile Moscow wants to reach an agreement that was in the interests of both sides, according to Russian negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky.

Before the meeting started, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Russian troops to lay down their weapons, and called for the EU to grant Ukraine membership of the bloc immediately.