The second round of ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine is set to begin later in the day, Russia’s state news agency TASS reported. Negotiations are likely to take place again in Belarus. Uraine’s demands are for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops, TASS reported, citing several Ukrainian media outlets.
Russia reportedly demanded that Ukraine recognize the sovereignty of separatist regions and drop its demand for the return of Crimea.
Ukraine’s EU application accepted
Ukraine’s application to join the EU was formally accepted by the bloc on Tuesday. But the country is not getting “immediate” membership as requested by President Volodymyr Zelensky† Yet EU countries have mobilized billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine as fighting with Russian forces lasted for a week.
The presidents of eight EU states also called on parliament to immediately grant Ukraine candidate status and begin negotiations for its formal accession to the EU, CNN reported.
Early peace talks were inconclusive
The first round of talks between Ukraine and Russia took place along the Belarus border on Monday. But after five hours of negotiations, little progress had been made in reaching a deal. Nevertheless, delegations on both sides had expressed some optimism about reaching a possible agreement.
Russia is under increasing international pressure to withdraw its troops. The United States and its allies recently imposed some of the toughest sanctions ever seen against the country, effectively isolating it from the global economy.
Russia-Ukraine conflict sparks crypto rush
Cryptocurrency use has seen a massive spike in the wake of the Russian invasion. Ukrainian citizens used crypto as electronic payments were suspended in the country, while a crash in the ruble sent Russian trading volumes soar. Ukraine is also asking for help via bitcoin and Ethereum, possibly the first government to do so. So far, donations have exceeded $20 million.
Russia’s use of crypto to potentially circumvent sanctions has also been a major topic of discussion. But all the buzz around crypto has made the markets soar. Bitcoin has outperformed global stock markets for nearly a week.
Disclaimer
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About the author
A former Reuters correspondent with over five years of experience in global financial markets. Ambar plans to use this knowledge to cover the fast-growing world of crypto and DeFi.
This post Second round of Russia-Ukraine talks to resume today: state media reports
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