Peace process underway20 Mar 2022 15:21
Ukraine and Russia make progress on negotiations - Turkey
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu who is mediating peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, has said the two sides are close to an agreement.
Cavusoglu told the AFP news agency "it is not an easy thing to come to terms with while the war is going on, while civilians are killed" but he added "we see that the parties are close to an agreement".
Cavusoglu visited Russia and Ukraine this week, as Turkey has strong bonds with the two sides.
He added that Turkey was in contact with the negotiating teams but refused to speak about the details of the talks as Turkey plays "an honest mediator and facilitator role".
The two sides are negotiating on six key points
Ukraine's neutrality
disarmament and security guarantees
the so-called "de-Nazification" of Ukraine
the removal of obstacles on the use of the Russian language in Ukraine
the status of the breakaway Donbass region
the status of Crimea annexed by Russia in 2014
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video on Saturday: "This is the time to meet, to talk, time for renewing territorial integrity and fairness for Ukraine".