Russia, Ukraine to discuss political, humanitarian aspects, military settlement during third round of talks today

Russia and Ukraine will discuss political, humanitarian aspects and a military settlement during the third round of talks scheduled to be held today in Belarus, Sputnik reported citing the head of the Russian delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.

"All the same issues will be discussed: three blocks of issues -- the issue of internal political settlement, international humanitarian aspects and issues of military settlement," the news agency quoted him as saying.

Medinsky said that Russia will discuss the organization of humanitarian corridors in the talks today.

"We will try again today with the Ukrainian side to discuss the mode of operation of humanitarian corridors since in all the cities in which we promised, these corridors are open from the side of our army and the armed forces of Donbas, the fire has ceased," he said, according to Sputnik.

The third round of negotiations between the delegations of Ukraine and Russia will begin at 14:00 GMT on Monday, informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's aide Mykhailo Podolyak.

The composition of the Ukrainian delegation will remain the same, Podolyak said on Monday.

The first round of talks between the two sides was held in the Gomel region of Belarus on February 28. The talks are aimed at finding a way to end the Ukraine conflict. Following the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office said Russia and Ukraine identified some priority topics on which they have outlined certain decisions.

The second round of talks between Russia and Ukraine over the crisis in Ukraine was held in Belarus on March 3. The Russian delegation, in the first talks, was headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office said the key "issue of the negotiations is an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of troops from the territory of Ukraine."

Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions, Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics followed by the announcement of a "special military operation" to "demilitarize" and "denazify" Ukraine.

( With inputs from ANI )