Ukraine delegation arrives at Belarus-Poland border for talks with Russia

A Ukrainian delegation on Monday arrived in Belarus for talks with representatives from Russia for a third round of talks on the conflict in Ukraine.

"The Ukrainian delegation arrived at the Belovezhskaya Pushcha (a national park on the Poland-Belarus border) in two helicopters for talks with Russia," TASS state news agency reported.

Russian Defence Ministry announced a new push Monday, saying civilians would be allowed to leave the capital of Kyiv, the southern port city of Mariupol, and the cities of Kharkiv and Sumy.

In the latest cease-fire proposal, most of the evacuation routes were toward Russia or its ally Belarus, a move Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk called “unacceptable.” Belarus served as a launching ground for the invasion.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia has told Ukraine it is ready to halt military operations "in a moment" if Kyiv meets a list of conditions.

He said Moscow was demanding that Ukraine cease military action, change its constitution to enshrine neutrality, acknowledge Crimea as Russian territory, and recognise the separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent states.

It was the most explicit Russian statement so far of the terms it wants to impose on Ukraine to halt what it calls its "special military operation", now in its 12th day.

In the face of a series of punishing sanctions by Western countries, Russia has grown increasing isolated. The ruble has plunged in value, and the country’s extensive trade ties with the West have been all but severed. Moscow has also cracked down on independent reporting on the conflict and arrested anti-war protesters en masse.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged even more punishment on Monday, calling for a global boycott of all Russian products, including oil.

“If the invasion continues and Russia does not abandon its plans against Ukraine, then we need a new sanctions package,” Zelenskyy said in a video address. “If (Russia) doesn’t want to abide by civilized rules, then they shouldn’t receive goods and services from civilization. It can be called an embargo, or it can be just morality.”

Zelensky described shelling of Ukrainian cities in the center, north and south of the country, describing “terror” facing civilians in the suburbs of Kyiv and in Kharkiv and Mariupol, surrounded by Russian troops.

Putin had launched his invasion with a string of false accusations against Kyiv, including that it is led by neo-Nazis intent on undermining Russia with the development of nuclear weapons.

(With inputs from agencies)