Held For Two Days, The Fourth Round Of Peace Talks Have Not Ended, Putin's Meeting With Zelensky Is Needed

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Source: Kremlin.ru) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (Facebook President Ukraina Volodymyr Zelenskiy). (Collage/VOI)

JAKARTA - The fourth round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine has not ended after two virtual days, but it is believed that there is still room for discussion between the two countries.

The Ukrainian negotiator who is also the country's top official said the fourth round of peace talks between the two countries was planned to resume on Wednesday.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke with Russian negotiators via video link on Monday and Tuesday, described the talks as "very difficult and tough."

"There is a fundamental contradiction," he said, adding that "there is definitely room for compromise."

Talks via video link this week followed three rounds of negotiations in Belarus that failed to produce visible progress. Both Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have voiced cautious optimism but have not provided details of the talks.

Meanwhile, a senior aide to Ukraine's president said Russia had softened its stance in talks over a possible settlement.

Ihor Zhovkva, deputy chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday talks between representatives of Russia and Ukraine had become 'more constructive'.

He also said Russia had changed the tone and stopped airing demands for Ukraine to surrender, something Russia had insisted on during the early stages of talks.

Zhovkva said Ukrainian representatives were feeling "quite optimistic" after the talks, adding President Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin needed to meet to make major progress.

Three rounds of talks in Belarus earlier this month have been followed by video calls between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, including the one on Tuesday.

For information, the first round of Russian-Ukrainian talks was held in the Gomel region of Belarus on February 28. The talks lasted five hours. The second round of talks was held on March 3 in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, in Belarus. The talks resulted in an agreement on a humanitarian corridor to evacuate civilians.

Delegates meet for the third round of talks on March 7, in the Brest region, also in Belarus. On March 10, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmitry Kuleba on the sidelines of a diplomatic forum in Antalya, Turkey.