Direct talks between Russia and Ukraine are expected to take place on Friday in Istanbul, Turkey. This will be the first time the two countries have held such talks in three years amid the ongoing war. DW has more.
Guterres says Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be respected
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls for respect for the territorial integrity of Ukraine in the course of the possible peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow.
“A just peace means respecting the UN Charter, international law, and Ukraine’s territorial integrity. This will not be easy,” Guterres told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
According to the UN chief, the principle of territorial integrity is of the utmost importance. “It is fundamental to peace and security in the world,” Guterres said, adding that if the principle of territorial integrity no longer applied, it would lead to an increase in conflicts.
Nevertheless, he observed the ongoing peace efforts with optimism. Guterres expressed confidence that a ceasefire could be reached without preconditions to create the basis for a just peace between Russia and Ukraine.
UK’s Starmer says Putin ‘must pay the price for avoiding peace’
Ahead of a European Political Community meeting in Albania, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “must pay the price for avoiding peace.”
“Putin’s tactics to dither and delay, while continuing to kill and cause bloodshed across Ukraine, (are) intolerable,” Starmer said in a statement.
The European Political Community summit is taking place on the same day that talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations are expected to begin in Turkey.
Source : https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-updates-lower-level-talks-to-begin-in-istanbul/live-72561045