Ukraine, Russia reach tentative agreement to organize safe corridors for civilians

A Ukrainian delegation member has said talks with Russia have led to a tentative agreement to organize safe corridors for civilians to evacuate and for humanitarian supplies to be delivered.

Talks between Kyiv and Moscow were held in Belarus near the Polish border on Thursday. 

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian and Ukraine reached a preliminary understanding that in areas established as safe corridors a cease-fire will be observed.

“The second round of talks is over. Unfortunately, Ukraine does not have the results it needs yet. There are decisions only on the organisation of humanitarian corridors,” Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter.

Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky confirmed the news, describing the talks as “substantial progress”.

In a video call with Security Council members, Russian President Vladimir Putin alleged Ukrainian nationalist groups are preventing civilians from leaving.

He said they were using civilians as shields, taking up firing positions to provoke Russian retaliatory fire.

Earlier on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron warned the “worse is yet to come” following a 90-minute phone call with Putin. 

According to French officials, Macron told the Russian leader that he was making a “major mistake” in Ukraine, adding: “You are lying to yourself.”

Putin told Macron the invasion will continue “until the end” unless negotiations meet his terms. The Russian president wants to demilitarise and “denazify” Ukraine and insisted he would attain the goal by military means, of not by political and diplomatic means.