Russia and Ukraine Negotiations Conclude

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine negotiations in the Gomel region have concluded, reports Sputnik Belarus.

The meeting took place on Belarusian territory. Members of the Ukrainian delegation arrived there this morning by helicopter from Poland, due to security considerations.

The Russian delegation had arrived in Minsk on Sunday to negotiate with representatives from Kyiv and was waiting for a decision on the meeting's location.

During the negotiations, which lasted over 4 hours, there were two breaks.

The Russian side was represented by Presidential Assistant Vladimir Medinsky, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenkov, Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, Chair of the State Duma's International Relations Committee Leonid Slutskiy, and the Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov.

Kyiv was represented by Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, David Arakhamia from the 'Servant of the People' faction, Deputy Foreign Minister Mykola Tochytskyi, Senior Advisor to the President's Office Mykhailo Podolyak, Rada Member Rustem Umierov, and Deputy Chair of the Ukrainian delegation in the Trilateral Contact Group Andrii Kostin.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced the need for negotiations on February 24, simultaneously proposing to hold them in Minsk. Later that evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to negotiate regarding a neutral status but subsequently declined to hold the meeting in Belarus.

This was followed by Lukashenko's phone call with Zelensky, after which Ukraine agreed to arrive in the Gomel region for negotiations.