A woman reacts as she stands outside destroyed apartment blocks following shelling in the northwestern Obolon district of Kiev on March 14, 2022. (ARIS MESSINIS / AFP)
MOSCOW/KIEV – The Ukrainian delegation is seeking a ceasefire and a troop withdrawal during the peace talks with Russia, Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak, also a member of the delegation, said Monday.
"Our positions remain unchanged: peace, immediate ceasefire, withdrawal of all Russian troops," Podolyak said in a video statement on Twitter.
The fourth round of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations was scheduled for Monday via video link
Ukraine will be ready to talk about any neighborly relations and political settlements with Russia only after the implementation of these positions, Podolyak said.
The fourth round of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations was scheduled for Monday via video link.
"Negotiations go non-stop in the format of video conferences. Working groups are constantly functioning. A large number of issues require constant attention. Podoliak tweeted on Sunday night.
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Ukrainian and Russian delegations have held three rounds of peace talks in-person in Belarus since Feb. 28, though the negotiations ended without a significant breakthrough.
Explosions in Lviv
Explosions were heard on Sunday in Ukraine's western city of Lviv at about 6 am local time (0400 GMT).
Earlier in the day, air raid alerts went off in Lviv at 3:30 am local time, with residents rushing to bomb shelters for security.
Power supply restored
External electricity supplies have been restored at Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant, four days after its disconnection from the power grid, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Sunday.
Ukraine's regulatory authorities told the IAEA that Ukrainian specialist teams repaired one of the two damaged power lines at Chernobyl on Sunday, enabling all required off-site power to be delivered to the plant, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said in a daily statement.
The plant will be connected to the Ukrainian electricity grid on Monday morning, according to Ukraine's regulator.
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ent as the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has had to rely on emergency diesel generators for several days now," the IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said. "However, I remain gravely concerned about safety and security at Chernobyl and Ukraine's other nuclear facilities."
An Odesa bound train waits on the platform of Lviv train station, western Ukraine, March 13, 2022. (BERNAT ARMANGUE / AP)
Russia’s forex reserve frozen
Near half of Russia's roughly $640 billion of gold and foreign currency reserves has been frozen, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Sunday.
Siluanov said on a Russian TV program that Russia will pay roubles to its debt holders.
He said that the current conflict in Ukraine has not been easy for Russian financial institutions. Still, the country's capital reserves have made it possible for banks under severe restrictions to function.
"Of course, we have enough money to ensure the production of vital goods. The Central Bank will provide the necessary liquidity to the financial system," he said.
