ISTANBUL: Ukraine and Russia failed to clinch a cease-fire in talks that ended in Turkey on Tuesday, with Moscow saying it will reduce military operations in areas where its forces are being pushed back and Kyiv calling for security guarantees from members of the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato).
Ukraine’s negotiators said that they were seeking security guarantees for areas outside of Russian-controlled Crimea and separatist-held territories.
Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said that Kyiv has offered to discuss status of Crimea, which was seized by Russia in 2014 and has been occupied ever since.
Russia responded with an announcement that it was cutting military activity near Kyiv and the city of Chernihiv, where Ukrainian officials say they are driving Russian forces back through counterattacks.
Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said Ukraine had presented a clear position that would be escalated promptly to Putin for a response.
Russia indicated a meeting was possible between President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Russia’s delegation left Istanbul, and no date or time was set for any potential future talks, according to a person close to the Moscow delegation.
Stocks rose and oil fell on optimism for progress in the negotiations, with European shares rising 2%.
